In India’s Northeast, Nagas Showcase Traditional Culture at Hornbill Festival

This combination photo of portraits shows Indigenous Nagas during the Hornbill Festival in Kisama, on the outskirts of Kohima, capital of the northeastern Indian state of Nagaland, Tuesday, Dec.10, 2024. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)

The men were dressed like warriors as they stabbed their spears in the air, reenacting a form of tribal warfare their ancestors used in battles. Many others, wearing tribal costumes, sang and danced, keeping alive customs that have passed down through generations.
These were among the scenes at the 10-day Hornbill Festival in Kohima, the capital of India’s remote Nagaland state, which borders Myanmar. Nagaland, which was a frontier during World War II and where Allied troops fought against the Japanese, is home to Nagas, an Indigenous people who inhabit several northeastern Indian states, The Associated Press said.
The festival, which ended Tuesday, brought together a collection of traditional arts, cuisine and folklore, spotlighting the diverse Naga heritage. Nagaland's famed headhunters also joined, and hundreds of tribal participants wore accessories that included necklaces made from animal tusks.
Named after the Indian hornbill, a large forest bird, the festival is Nagaland's biggest tourist draw and seeks to showcase the rich tradition and cultural heritage of the state's Indigenous tribes, each with its own distinct festivals and character.
In the majority Hindu country, most Nagas are Christians. They are ethnically distinct from most of India.
Most Naga villages are perched on mountaintops, originally built long ago to spot approaching enemies when the region was little more than a forest.