Scraping of the ongoing Hornbill Festival

Why in news?

• The Nagaland government has recently scraped the Hornbill festival celebrations

About Hornbill festival

• Hornbill Festival is celebrated in Nagaland to encourage inter-tribal interaction.
• It is one of the largest indigenous festival organised by the state government of Nagaland to promote tourism in the state.
• 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.
• The festival is considered the “Festival of Festivals” in Nagaland.
• The festival is named after the bird – Hornbill which is the most revered and admired bird for the Nagas.
• The festival is a tribute to this bird, known for its qualities of grandeur and alertness.
• The bird is also closely identified with the social and cultural life of the Nagas, as reflected in various tribal dances, songs and folklores.
• Hornbill festival exposes the culture and tradition of the tribal people and reinforces the identity of the Nagaland.