KOHIMA — As the much anticipated 24th edition of Hornbill Festival is set from December 1 to the 10th, the advisor to chief minister, Abu Metha, shared exciting news about the distinguished chief guests for the opening ceremony.
Speaking to Eastern Mirror on the sidelines of an event at Raj Bhavan on Thursday evening, Metha informed that the event will witness diplomats from the United States, Germany, Columbia, and the United Kingdom as partners. He added that Assam is also recognised as the state partner for the festival.
He expressed gratitude to the chief minister for the significant partnerships and expressed hope that this year's festival will be the grandest ever.
He apprised how the music festival component alone is set to feature approximately 800 musicians from around the globe including artistes from the United States, Germany, Columbia, and South Korea.
Happy to host the German Delegation lead by @Germany_Kolkata Madam Barbara Voss to Nagaland and the Hornbill Festival along with Honble Minister Madam @k_salhoutuonuo and Honble Advisors @Hekani & @MhathungYantha2.
— abu metha (@abumetha) November 30, 2023
Hosted a Round Table Meet on Business & Investment with the… pic.twitter.com/o9IAp99KWk
Metha also revealed several new additions to this year's festivities, such as an exclusive felicitation centre for the media, launch of Nagaland coffee, initiatives promoting tourism for honey, and related ventures.
He informed that expectations are high for the Hornbill Festival to surpass all previous editions, with the countdown to its silver jubilee edition already underway.
MYO on fee structures at Hornbill Festival
Merama Youth Organisation (MYO) from Phesama village has established clear fee structures for entry, camera, and vehicle parking during the Hornbill Festival.
An executive member of the organisation informed this newspaper that their volunteers would be managing the ticketing and parking operations under the directive of the Tourism department.
It was informed that a nominal entry fee of INR 20 would be charged for local visitors, INR 50 for domestic tourists, and INR 100 for international visitors.
Additionally, parking rates are set at INR 150 for heavy vehicles, INR 100 for light vehicles, and INR 20 for two-wheelers.
Visitors with cameras would be charged a fee of INR 50, while digital cameras and professional equipment would be charged INR 100 and INR 150, respectively.
The taxi service would be overseen by the Kigwema Youth Organisation, while the Southern Angami Youth Organisation (SAYO) would provide voluntary services.
It was informed that Jakhama village would send around 300 members in traditional attire to participate in the grand welcome ceremony of the festival.
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