Nagaland is one of the north-eastern states of India which is surrounded by the state of Assam in the north and the west, Myanmar in the east, Arunachal Pradesh in the north and Manipur in the south. Being the smallest state of India, Nagaland covers around 16,579 square kilometer of total area. The beautiful Naga Hills are located in Nagaland and Kohima is the capital city of Nagaland. On 1st December 1963, Nagaland became the sixteenth state of India. Before 1963, Nagaland was a union territory of the country.
The hilly state of Nagaland attracts tourists from all over the world not only for its cascading waterfalls, quaint hills, dense forests, green carpeted and picturesque valleys and rich plant and animal life but also because of the colorful and cheerful festivals that the different tribal groups celebrate in the state. All throughout the year, a variety of festivals are celebrated in Nagaland. Thus it is rightly called the land of festivities.
Konyak, Aos, Changs, Lothas, Phoms, Semas, Tangkhuls, Angamis, Rengmas, Sangtams and so on are some of the tribes which occupy the territory of Nagaland. On the basis of their individual and distinctive culture and tradition, each of the tribes celebrate different festivals. The festivals are considered to be sacrosanct by all tribes. You will notice that each and every member of the tribe participates in the celebration of that particular tribe’s festival. Every tribe celebrates its unique festival with elaborate display of colors and spectacular feast of thrilling music.
A majority of the festivals celebrated in Nagaland are associated with agriculture because almost the entire population is dependent on agriculture. Spiritual and religious sentiments are also related to the festivals of Nagaland. With sheer passion, fervor and dedication, the tribes of Nagaland celebrate their distinctive festivals.
Hornbill Festival
One of the most important festivals of Nagaland is the Hornbill Festival which is organized and planned by the Government of Nagaland so that inter-tribal interaction and the cultural richness of Nagaland can be promoted efficiently. All the Nagaland tribes participate in the Hornbill Festival which takes place in Kohima (Naga Heritage Village, Kisama) from 1st of December to 7th of December every year. Whoever participates in this festival, he/she gets the ultimate opportunity to understand the culture and people of Nagaland better and also experience the customs, dances, songs and food of Nagaland. The interesting thing about the Hornbill Festival is that cultural troupes belonging to the other north-eastern states of India also take part in the festival which is truly remarkable and intriguing.
Along with the Hornbill Festival, different tribes celebrate their own festivals. Here is an overview on certain tribal festivals.
Aoleang Monyu
Konyak which is the largest Nagaland tribe celebrates the Aoleang Monyu during the first week of April to bid farewell to the old year and welcome the New Year. This festival continues to be celebrated for about six days and each day is given a different name:
1st day- Hoi Lai Yah Nyih
2nd day- Yin Pho Nyih
3rd day- Yin Mok Shek Nyih
4th day- Lingnyu Nyih
5th day- Lingha Nyihand and
6th day- Lingshan Nyih.
Moatsu Mong
After the fields are cleared and seeds are sown into them, the Aos tribe celebrates the Moatsu Mong which is marked by merrymaking and vigorous dances and songs. The festival continues for three days from 1st of May to 3rd of May.
Sekrenyi
This festival is celebrated on the 25th of February every year by the tribe known as Angami. Sekrenyi is a ten daylong celebration that also has another name- Phosanyi.
Tokhu Emong
This is the festival of harvest for the Lothas (Nagaland tribe). It is celebrated on the 7th of November and the celebrations continue till nine days.
Along with these some other tribal festivals are: Tsokum, Bushu, Mimkut, Monyu, Ngada etc. Some of the tribes such as Chakhesang, Zeliang, Khamniungam etc celebrate more than one festival every year.