Tourists flock to food stalls in Kisama
Any Naga tribal festival is celebrated with lots of drinks and food, and it seems no different in the Hornbill festival, both for locals and tourists.
A food stall “Geebees Appetites”, located at food court above the Hortiscape exhibition and sale, is owned and run by one Anungla Longkumer, a Naga entrepreneur who also has been running a restaurant in Mumbai for the last 13 years.
Interacting with this correspondent, she said this was her first time running a food stall in Kisama. The idea for the Kisama food stall came to her when a friend from Mumbai, who visited Hornbill festival last year, asked her to open one especially for tourists coming from mainland India.
According to Longkumer, a chef from Mumbai is preparing both the vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. She has also brought some ingredients not available in Kohima town.
She explained that many tourists wish to taste Naga food in Kisama, but at the same time it should also accommodate as many taste-buds as possible. Thousands of local visitors, domestic and foreign tourists are coming to her food stall.
Another food stall people thronged in the hundreds was the Naga Chef Stall at the Amphi theatre, run by four finalists of Naga Chef season 6 namely Mhomo Ngullie, Vikhuli Achumi from Dimapur and Dennis Suohu and Lipok Longkumer from Kohima. They offer a variety of Naga food items, which are prepared by their expert hands.
In the Group Round of Naga Chef Season 6, held under the aegis of Synergy Group Enterprise and supported by the state government, many dignitaries, tourists (both domestic and foreign), and local people have tasted its great food.
The winner of Naga Chef season 6 will walk home with Rs. 3 lakhs to start his or her own restaurant or food business.
Eastern Air Command AOC-in-C visits Kohima
DIMAPUR: Air Officer Commanding in Chief (AOC-in-C) of Shillong-based Eastern Air Command (EAC) Air Marshal R Nambiar, along with his wife Luxmi Nambiar, attended the ongoing Hornbill Festival at Naga Heritage Village Kisama on Thursday as chief guest.
The EAC has jurisdiction over 11 States in the eastern region.
The AOC-in-C was accompanied by project director (IAF) Nagaland, Wing Commander SA Jakhalu.
According to PRO (Defence) Col C Konwer, Nambiar also met Governor PB Acharya in the morning and chief minister Neiphiu Rio in the evening.
The chief minister thanked Nambiar and Eastern Air Command for being part of the celebrations of 55th Statehood Day by putting up a spectacular first of its kind air display, over the Kohima skies.
The Air Marshal apprised both Acharya and Rio of the proactive involvement of Eastern Air Command in improving and carrying out infrastructure development in the eastern region, which should not only enhance its capabilities but also help the local population.
Further, Nambiar promised all support to the State administration, especially in providing humanitarian assistance during disaster relief operations, which is also a peace time role of the Indian Air Force.
This year, when the State was badly affected by landslides, IAF and its Air Warriors carried out relief operations with helicopters in coordination with civil administration and supplied life-saving essential commodities to stranded people and carried out casualty evacuation in bad weather, and remote and difficult mountainous terrain.
To honour the State guest, a dinner was organised that was attended by director general of police John Longkumer and other senior government officials.
The Air Marshal interacted with Mizoram Governor Kummanam Rajasekharan and additional chief secretary Temjen Toy on Friday before leaving for Shillong.