Hornbill Festival – the festival of festivals 

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• It is the largest celebration of the Indigenous Warrior Tribes of Nagaland

• The festival is celebrated annually in the first week of December in order to preserve, protect and revive the uniqueness and richness of the Naga heritage.

• Hornbill Festival is held at Naga Heritage Village, Kisama, about 12 km from Kohima.

• The festival is named after this bird because it forms the centre of many local folklore. Also, the tribes in the state consider the bird to be sacred. 

• The first edition of the festival was held in 2000

• Over the years, the Hornbill Festival has contributed significantly to enhancing the state’s tourism brand.

About Hornbill

• Hornbill bird is common in tropical and subtropical Asia, Africa and Melanesia. 

• It is also known as the Dhanesh bird.

• The IUCN status of hornbill bird is “Near Threatened”.