Hornbill Festival – a primer

Sometime in March, I gave a talk on Hornbill Festival for a bunch of travel enthusiasts in Bangalore. The slides are now available for public viewing. See the entire slideshow below or visit http://www.slideshare.net/arunchs/hornbill-festival

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Some of you may be aware that we conduct photography tour to North-East India during Hornbill Festival every year. Do join me for the 2016 edition in December. See details and join me on this photography tours at www.darter.in/photography-tours/travel/photography-in-north-east-hornbill-festival/


The Eclectic Hornbill Festival – Images and Information

Hornbill Festival

On a cold December morning, every road in Nagaland seems to be leading to the Hornbill Festival venue. Large signboards, usually adorned with portraits of Naga people clad in their beautiful best traditional wears, welcome you to the ‘Festival of Festivals’. They are compellingly beautiful images – seeing one of them in a newspaper or a magazine will compel you to pack the bags and catch the next flight available.

The Hornbill Festival is a celebration of Nagaland’s traditions and cultural heritage. Sixteen communities–collectively called Nagas–come together at the festival venue to exhibit their wears, enact their daily life and re-create their energetic festivals at one place. Imagine spend a year travelling through rural Nagaland, witnessing their way of life and celebrations, and then think about bringing it all together in one-go. That’s hornbill festival for you.

Here is a collection of images from Hornbill Festival – celebrations, performances and portraitures, made in the last two years of leading photography tours to the festival.

Hornbill Festival
The festival venue–called Kisama Heritage Village–just outside Kohima. The venue is far larger than just an amphitheater for performances. Surrounding the amphitheater are the resting places of the participating communities, restaurants, shops, museums and community areas. 


Travels in North East India

I was travelling through parts of North East India, in Assam, Nagaland and Meghalaya in the first two weeks of December. During the journeys, we have had many close interactions with people from remote places in the region, which made this visit a gratifying and an eye-opening experience. I can’t recall too many places where I have felt so welcome and completely at ease. In many faraway locations where we randomly wandered into, people welcomed us unassumingly right into their houses. In one small village inhabited by Rengma Nagas, we were escorted to and offered tea at the house of a friendly villagers. As soon as we came out of their house, we exchanged smiles with another stranger, and were immediately led to her house for more tea! I am grateful to have received such warmth from so many people in the last few days. Having been recipient of such treasured welcome, I can’t help but say that I am going to be back here again in future, hopefully for many times in the years to come. Stories from the region will follow in January.

travels in North East India

In the image is a happy family in Assam, walking through the woods towards their paddy fields.