As the curtains come down on the 25th edition of the Horbill Festival on December 10, there is need to have a close scrutiny about the strong and weak points of the festival which this year drew a total of 1,73,887 tourists that included 2375 from abroad , 48,104 from other parts of India and 1,23,408 from within Nagaland as on December 9.
The plus point and without doubt were the scintillating performances by various cultural troupes from Nagaland. Guest appearance by the Japanese drum beaters was a big attraction. Other visiting troupes from Sikkim, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh were also a major highlight of the event.
This Correspondent spoke with several visitors, to find out what they thought of the Hornbill Festival 2024. Bikashjyoti Boruah, a headmaster from Jorhat, Assam, loves the Hornbill Festival but has a complaint about the prohibitive prices of various such as food and handicrafts.
Boruah said he’ll still visit Hornbill Festival but sincerely hopes the prices will be reasonable and quality will meet expectations. Another visitor from Delhi on his second Hornbill after a gap of three years, said he expected the 25th edition to be special but high prices of food and handicrafts were a disappointment.
He said while Rs.200 per plate would have been reasonable for a simple meal, he was surprised that a simple meal cost Rs.350 and tea in a paper cup cost Rs.50. He emphasized that, travel including being at the festival has become unaffordable in comparison to other years.
An elderly couple from Mumbai expressed disappointment at the arrangement where there was no accommodation for the elderly and the differentially abled.
The couple admitted that the steep incline and the small and narrow paths hindered their ability to explore all tribe morungs.
The couple also said they were very disappointed about severe limitation of alternative vegetarian food. They suggested that it would be beneficial to have vegetarians food kiosks at more locations.
Hannah and Aaron from Scotland were enthusiastic about the Hornbill Festival, their first experience. They enjoyed the traditional and cultural activities and were pleased with the local cuisine, which they found uniquely different yet delicious.
They appreciated the food, the friendly people, and the overall atmosphere, and remarked that the event was well-organized. The Scottish couple were also satisfied with price of tribal handicrafts and shawls and also food reasonably prices in comparison with their home country.
Perry from England, recounted his enjoyable experiences, mentioning that he had a great time. He particularly admired the authenticity of the Naga culture and the warmth and friendliness of the Naga people.