The tribes of Nagaland
The Zeliang Tribe
Peren district · Festival: Hegaile (February window)
At the Hornbill Festival: The Zeliang morung performs the heron dance and Hegaile’s communal blessings, plus the Heraka reform tradition’s story.
Traditional dress and craft
Zeliang women’s white-and-red heron-motif skirts are the signature; men wear hornbill-feather caps with cane armour recreations.
What to know about the Zeliang
The Zeliang of Peren celebrate Hegaile, and their Heraka movement led by Rani Gaidinliu is one of modern Nagaland’s defining cultural stories.
Meet the Zeliang in person
Visit their morung at the Hornbill Festival (December 1–10, Kisama), afternoons are for conversations, not performances. Or travel to Peren district for Hegaile in February window, the same culture at home scale. Our [tribes guide](/journal/hornbill-festival-tribes/) covers every community, and the [festivals calendar](/journal/festivals-of-nagaland/) maps the year.
Hornbill Festival packages from ₹3,999, every tribe, one arena, everything included.