HORNBILL FESTIVAL :
Hornbill Festival—The Festival is named after the Indian Hornbill, the large and colourful forest bird which is displayed in folklore in most of the state’s tribes.
The week long festival unites one and all in Nagaland and people enjoy the colourful performances, crafts, sports, food fairs, games and ceremonies. Traditional arts which include paintings, wood carvings, and sculptures are also on display.[5]
Festival highlights include the Traditional Naga Morungs Exhibition and sale of Arts and Crafts, Food Stalls, Herbal Medicine Stalls, Flower shows and sales, Cultural Medley – songs and dances, Fashion shows, Beauty Contest, Traditional Archery, Naga wrestling, Indigenous Games, and Musical concert.[1]
The Hornbill Festival provides a colourful mixture of dances, performances, crafts, parades, games, sports, food fairs and religious ceremonies. The festival both exposes the culture and tradition of tribal peoples, and reinforces Nagaland’s identity as a unique state in India’s federal union. The Hornbill Festival Starts From (1st to 7th December every year)
DAY-1
(GUWAHATI)– Arrive Guwahati airport and meet with EITT staff and drive roughly for 2 hours straight to Nagaon. Check in Hotel Abhinandan International. Dinner and overnight.
DAY-2
(NAGAON- KOHIMA)– Today after morning tea we drive for half an hour to Chaparmukh Junction of Nagaon to catch Jana Satabdi Express to Dimapur, the commercial capital of Nagaland. After reaching Dimapur drive for two hours to reach Kohima, the capital of Nagaland. The drive from Dimapur to Kohima is extremely beautiful with lush green hills and lakes. Check in to Hotel Japfu, a nice hotel located in PR Hill in Kohima. Evening explore the local tribal market. N.B– We will carry our packed breakfast this morning. Jan Satabdi express is an AC chair class train. The journey from Chaparmukh to Kohima is of 4 hours. The road condition from Dimapur to Kohima is not very good in some of the portions.
DAY-3
(HORNBILL FESTIVAL)– After breakfast drive for half an hour to the Hornbill festival site. Whole day at Hornbill Festival. Dinner and overnight at Hotel Japfu
DAY-4
KOHIMA : (Drive from Kohima to Touphema – 40 kms/1.30 hours) Whole day at Hornbill Festival. Then Transfer to Touphema Tourist Village. Dinner and overnight at Touphema
DAY-5
(KOHIMA/HORN BILL FESTIVAL)– Today after breakfast come back to Kohima. The rest of the day at Hornbill Festival. Dinner and overnight at Japfu
DAY-6
(HORN BILL FESTIVAL)– After breakfast drive for half an hour to the Hornbill festival site. Whole day at Hornbill Festival. Dinner and overnight at Hotel Japfu. 08/12/07: KOHIMA – DIMAPUR (Drive from Dimapur to Kohima – 70 kms/2 hours) Today after breakfast drive to Dimapur airport to catch out going flight to Calcutta/Delhi.
BIHU FESTIVAL—–(14th -15th April every year)
BIHU—
Bihu is the most fascinationg and colourful festival of Assam. There are three Bihus celebrated in Assam, Bhogali bihu in the month of January, Bohag or Rangali bihu in the month of April and Kati or Kangali Bihu in the month of October. All these are agrarian festivals and out of these three, Rangali or Bohag Bihu is the most important which is celebrated to welcome Assamese new year. People beally dress up with wear Assamese traditional attire; men wear dhuti(traditional white wrap around) and Punjabi and Gamocha and women wear Muga (typical Assamese silk) mekhela sadar(Assamese women wear), gorgeous conventional ornaments and Gamocha.
The young ones perform huchori and bihu naam in the evening. They use Assamese musical instruments like dhul(drum), pepa, gagana, tal, bahi, toka etc. However, Assamese people prepare some mouth watering delicacies like varieties of rice cakes, fish curries and many more.
DAY-1
(GUWAHATI) –Arrive Guwahati Airport and meet and assist by EITT staff and go for a city tour of Guwahti. Check into a nice city hotel and enjoy lunch (depending on the time the city tour can be before or after lunch). It includes famous Kamakhya temple, one of the most auspicious Hindu temple of India, commonwealth war grave cemetery, state museum and a local market. In the evening, go for a cultural function based on Bihu festival. Dinner and overnight in the hotel.
DAY-2
(NAGAON- BORDUWA/BIHU FESTIVAL)– Today after breakfast, drive for roughly 2 hours to Nagaon, one of the largest Districts of Assam famous for Bihu celebrations. Check in to a nice city hotel and after lunch visit Barduwa than(a renowned typical Assamese religious place where you can see a special naamghar,Assamese temple). The special attraction today will be people giving a bath to their cattle using some special medicinal herbs and wishing a long life for their cattle. Come back to the hotel for lunch. Post lunch visit a rural Assames village where you can see the customs and rituals Assamese people follow during this festival and enjoy some traditional Assamese food. Dinner & overnight in the hotel
DAY-3
(BIHU FESTIVAL)– After breakfast, visit a place where you can see the ways of making rice cakes and various other delicacies specially prepared for the Bihu festival and learn to wear Assamese traditional attire used by men and women during this festival. A traditional Assamese lunch in a village resort. In the evening a special programme of hoochari( Bihu song and dance) by a young group of boys and girls. Dinner & overnight.
DAY-4
(BACK GUWAHATI)– After breakfast, drive 2 hours back to Guwahati to catch your flight or carry on with the extended tour of your choice with EITT.
HOWEVER ‘EITT’ SPECIALLY ARRANGES DURGA PUJA, THE FESTIVAL OF MOTHER GODESS DURGA (OCTOBER-NOVEMBER), DIWALI, THE FESTIVAL OF LIGHT (OCTOBER-NOVEMBER), HOLI, THE FESTIVAL OF COLOUR (MARCH) AND MANY OTHER FESTIVAL TOURS. SPECIAL LECTURES ON THE IMPORTANCE OF THESE FESTIVALS IN HINDUISM BY EXPERTS, THE DETAIlED ITINERARY WILL BE PROVIDED WHEN ENQUIRED.