Hornbill Festival (Hornbill Mahotsav), the history of Nagaland's festival of festivals

Quick answer: The Hornbill Festival, officially also promoted as Hornbill Mahotsav (हॉर्नबिल महोत्सव), was first held in December 2000 at Kisama Heritage Village near Kohima, Nagaland. The Government of Nagaland created it to bring all of the state’s tribes together in one place, once a year, and it has run every December 1–10 since (with no edition in 2020).

Why is it called the Hornbill Festival?

The festival is named after the great hornbill, the large, striking bird that appears across Naga folklore, tribal ceremony and traditional dress. In Naga culture the hornbill stands for grandeur and fidelity, and its feathers have long been part of warriors’ and dancers’ headdresses. Naming the state’s biggest cultural gathering after it was a deliberate choice: the bird is the common thread that runs through every tribe’s stories.

Why was it started?

Before 2000, Nagaland’s festivals were scattered, each tribe celebrated its own harvest festival in its own district, on its own calendar. The state government wanted a single event that would:

• bring all sixteen-plus tribes onto one stage, in one arena
• preserve and showcase traditional dance, music, food and craft
• give visitors, domestic and foreign, one clear window into Naga culture
• and, honestly, give Nagaland a tourism economy in the quietest, coldest month of the year

Kisama, between the villages of Kigwema and Phesama about 12km from Kohima, was chosen and built into a permanent Heritage Village, with a morung (traditional dormitory-house) for each tribe.

How it grew

The early editions were small, a handful of days, a modest arena. Year by year it stretched to the full ten days, added the night bazaar and carnival in Kohima, the Hornbill International Rock Concert, motorcycling rallies, film and fashion events, and a campsite economy around the grounds. Today the mornings and afternoons stay strictly traditional, tribal dances, indigenous games, morung visits, while the evenings spill into contemporary music in town.

Is Hornbill Mahotsav a different festival?

No. Hornbill Mahotsav, Hornbill Utsav and the Hornbill Festival are the same event, “mahotsav” (महोत्सव) is simply Hindi for “grand festival”, and the state uses the name in its Hindi-language promotion. If you are searching for dates or tickets under either name: December 1–10, Kisama Heritage Village, Nagaland.

Plan your visit

Our Hornbill Festival 2026 guide has this year’s dates, and our packages from ₹3,999 include permits, entry passes, stay and transport, one price, confirmed on WhatsApp before you book.