Nagaland is one of the states in the North-eastern part of India. Besides being famous for its serene beauty and peaceful environment, it is quite popular for some important festivities as well. You might have heard some of them, but we can bet that you must have not heard some of them either. The festivals of Nagaland represent the rich culture and historical significance of the place. Nagaland is predominantly a tribal state with many tribal groups living there. This makes the state even more interesting.
So, if you want to know more about the culture of the tribes through their festivals, then continue reading and know everything about them:
1) Hornbill Festival
Hornbill Festival of Nagaland is one of the most well-known Nagaland festivals that is celebrated in Kisama village. This festival was started in the year 2000 to popularize Nagaland among tourists. During this festival, tourists can witness various traditions and cultures of Nagaland that will make you feel close to the place. Apart from that, the chili eating competition, motor rally, traditional folk dance, and authentic food are quite famous in the Hornbill festival of Nagaland.
Location: Kohima
Time: December
2) Sekrenyi
Sekrenyi is a festival of Nagaland that belongs to the Angami tribe in Nagaland. If you are fortunate enough to witness the entire festival, it might become a life-altering experience for you. In this 10-day long festival, men hunt and slaughter animals, and women cook meals with those animals. Interestingly, the stove is made from scratch to cook these meals, and after that, they are destroyed. At this festival, men and women exchange gifts with each other to show their love for each other. It is celebrated to bring harmony to the community.
Location: Kohima
Time: February
3) Tsukheneye
Tsukheneye Festival is celebrated among the people of the Chakhesang tribe in Nagaland. It is one of the most popular festivals in Nagaland because they are related to the harvest of their crops. During the festival, a rooster is sacrificed early in the morning. After the last day of the festival, people take a ritualistic bath in the river for purification. It is believed that it will affect their harvest for the upcoming year. However, women are not allowed to take part in this festival.
Location: Phek
Time: January
4) Aoleang
Aoleang is a famous harvest festival in Nagaland that is celebrated by the people of the Konyak tribe. It occurs after the harvest of new seeds in the fields and welcomes the new year during spring. To celebrate this festival, people follow several customs, rituals, and traditions along with the singing and dancing routines of the tribal people. The government of Nagaland has promoted the festival a lot and made this festival an important one among tourists.
Location: Mon
Time: April
5) Naknyulem
One of the fun-filled festivals of Nagaland is none other than Naknyulem. It is celebrated by the people of the Chang tribe to promote the culture and tradition of the tribe. This festival is filled with dance, songs, and several exciting games such as top-spinning, grabbing cooked pork with the mouth, tug-of-war, Long jump, high jump, and more. The highlight of this festival is the Naga instrument that is also called the ‘Kongkhim’. During this festival, this instrument is played by the women.
Location: Tuensang
Time: July
6) Mimkut
Mimkut is one of the Nagaland festivals that is mainly celebrated by the people of the Kuki tribe. It is celebrated to please the demon ‘Thilha’. This is a religious festival that witnesses the sacrifice of a fowl in order to please the above said demon. It is believed that the ‘Thilha’ demon visits the place in the month of January and that is why this festival is celebrated.
Location: Peren
Time: January
7) Tokhu Emong
Tokhu Emong is an important festival in Nagaland that marks the end of the harvest season for the people of the Lotha tribe. This is a fun-filled festival where various singing, dancing, drinking, and eating activities are organized. This is called the ‘rest day’ because they have completed their harvest. It is one of the festivals in Nagaland that you must experience.
Location: Wokha
Time: November
8) Tuluni
Tuluni is yet another festival of Nagaland that is celebrated to create harmony among the community. This festival is celebrated by the people of the Sumi tribe to make the young couples feel at home. To celebrate this occasion, several locals exchange gifts among themselves and cook delicious meals with each other. This festival mainly celebrates the harvest of crops.
Location: Zunheboto
Time: July
