Franklin Graham likely to visit Nagaland, 50 years after his father’s crusade

To attend Hornbill Festival, preach in Kohima

KOHIMA — Rev. Franklin Graham, evangelist and son of the late Dr. Billy Graham, is likely to visit Nagaland at the end of November and early December, more than 50 years after his father’s 1972 crusade in Kohima.

According to a source familiar with the arrangements, the visit is being facilitated by Kohima Baptist Pastors’ Fellowship (KBPF) in collaboration with Nagaland government.

Graham is scheduled to preach at Indira Gandhi Stadium, Kohima, on November 30, where a reception will be hosted in his honour by the KBPF and the state government.

On December 1, which marks both the 63rd Nagaland Statehood Day and the opening of the 26th Hornbill Festival, he is expected to attend the inaugural programme at Kisama Naga Heritage Village as guest of honour and deliver a gospel message.

The source said that Graham agreed to visit Nagaland after discussions with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA), which had initially considered a possible event in 2026 or 2027.

Dr. Billy Graham last visited Kohima in 1972, when he led a crusade at Khouchiezhie (local ground), organised by the Nagaland Missionary Movement.

The event, remembered as the ‘Kohima Miracle,’ drew more than one lakh people from Nagaland and the Northeast.

In recognition of that visit, a road in Kohima, which runs from Don Bosco via Kohima College to the Nagaland Civil Secretariat, was later named Billy Graham Road.

A BGEA team has already visited Kohima to meet local organisers and inspect the proposed venues. However, government sources said visa confirmation for Franklin Graham’s visit is still awaited, though the state government has formally sent and received acceptance of the invitation.

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