Popular Hornbill Festival to be celebrated virtually amid COVID-19 pandemic

Kohima: The Government of  Nagaland decides to celebrate the popular 10 days Hornbill festival virtually this year, amid the spike in COVID-19 cases in the country.

According to reports, the tourism department of Nagaland said the festival will be covered through audiovisual media channels and social media platforms, and thus people can enjoy the tribal dance performances sitting at home.

The entire content for the online programme will be sourced from government archives, it said.

The Hornbill Festival is celebrated every year from 1 to 10th of December, which showcases all the culture, heritage, food, and customs of Naga tribes at Kisama village in Kohima.

All the Sixteen tribes are seen together to celebrate their traditions with colorful dance performances.

Tourists from across the globe attend the 10-day gala event.

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Earlier, The Nagaland People’s Front (NPF) criticized the state government’s decision of hosting the Hornbill Festival amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic situation.

The party expressed surprise at the government’s decision “to conduct the annual festival, despite knowing the fact that the Naga society is reeling under threat due to the coronavirus pandemic”.

Earlier, a circular issued by the Tourism Department requesting allied departments to initiate preparation for the forthcoming Hornbill Festival 2020, came as a surprise for many people. Many organizations and bloggers came out against celebrating Hornbill Festival in the usual way amidst pandemic situation.

The state registered 9,455 COVID-19 cases so far, of which 48 patients succumbed to death.

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