DIMAPUR — The 3rd
day of the 25th edition of the Hornbill Festival at Naga Heritage Village,
Kisama, witnessed a tapestry of cultural performances including folk songs and
dances of various tribes.
The morning session was hosted by Deputy Chief Minister,
Yanthungo Patton, and co- hosted by advisor of Food and Civil Supply, Legal
Metrology, KT Sukhalu, and chairman of Nagaland Honey Mission, Obed Quinker,
featuring Sikkim’s minister of Tourism, Tshering Thendup Bhutia; chairman of
SIMFED, Tenzing Dorjee Bhutia; Ambassador of Peru to India, HE Javier
Paulinich; director of Cultural Forum Austrian Embassy, Michael Paland; and
project manager of Vienna Economic Forum, Irena Pal, as honoured guests.
The Ao cultural troupe performed the festive dance also
known as the "Youth dance," which is performed by the youth to
showcase their talents, the Chang cultural troupe presented a folk song
‘Chonglichia,’ which is traditionally sung while cutting and pulling the banyan
tree and the Chakhesang cultural troupe presented a commemorative performance
which is a celebration of life, continuity and the enduring bonds between
families, clans and the land itself.
The Khiamniungan cultural troupe presented ‘Noklie’
(inter-village rivalry), where all brave and strong male members of the village
take guard to defend their village and the people, while the Garo cultural
troupe performed a folk song ‘Bade Dake Na' Ade,’ and the Konyak cultural
troupe demonstrated their folk song and dance called ‘Pangnyuhalok,’ which
encourages peaceful coexistence and support for each other's causes.
The Lotha cultural troupe performed a traditional folk song
‘Tssoktsu Khen’ (rice pounding folk song), which is a song sung by the Lotha
tribe when they gather together to pound rice, while the Phom cultural troupe
presented ‘Yongtap’ (living stone boulder) and Sangtam cultural troupe
exhibited a victory dance called ‘Nyichiba Akoh Khi.’
The Angami cultural troupe demonstrated ‘Tholi,’ an
indigenous game performed by women folks for fun, enjoyment and leisure, while
the Rengma cultural troupe performed ‘Ayi Kechu Khwi,’ a song during clearing
and ploughing of field and the Pochury cultural troupe presented folk dance
‘Atitidoh,’ a dance performed to the warriors to pay tributes for their courage
and strength.
The Sumi cultural troupe demonstrated ‘Aghikutsu Kulu’ (head
hunting), while the Tikhir cultural troupe performed a song called ‘Lasu Nyiong
Nyiong,’ which is a friendship song and the Kachari cultural troupe exhibited
folk dance ‘Bai Bin,’ a dance which is performed during Bishu festival.
The Yimkhiung cultural troupe presented a song called
‘Thunyo Khun,’ a song of merry-making with traditional brewed drinks and meat
among members of different clans, khel and villages, while the Kuki cultural
troupe performed ‘Khulkon Lam,’ which is associated with the journey of the
Kuki forefathers in search of a habitable land.
The final performance of the morning session was made by the
Zeliang cultural troupe with a dance called ‘Chariu Taubo,’ where both men and
women dance around singing with spirit of celebration, holding leaves in their
hands.
In the afternoon session, the Union Minister of Culture and
Tourism, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, was the chief guest. Minister of Women
Resource Development and Horticulture, Salhoutuonuo Kruse, was the host and
advisor of Treasuries and Accounts, Art and Culture, Konngam Konyak was the
co-host.
The Yimkhiung cultural troupe performed a folk song and
dance signifying the celebration of 25th edition of Hornbill festival, while
the Kachari cultural troupe presented a folk dance ‘Baidima,’ which signifies
walking, praying and sailing together in joy and harmony and ‘Drum Tao,’ the
world famous Japanese drumming ensemble hailing from the Aso region in Japan
mesmerised the gathering with a grand performance integrating music, martial
arts, dance and theatrical storytelling.
The Konyak cultural troupe treated the crowd with a folk
song and dance called ‘Maipong Lokpu,’ which compliment the beauty of both
young men and women, while the Tikhir cultural troupe performed a song ‘Sangso,
Hornbill Nyi Nyileitu’ to commemorate 25th edition of Hornbill Festival and the
Sumi cultural troupe entertained the gathering with ‘Sholuba Kiche,’ which
involves intricate rituals and is an important tradition of the Sumi tribe in
order to conquer the enemies and to hunt animals. This is practised before a
war and a hunt.
The Sangtam cultural troupe performed ‘Lutang Khidong,’ a
song sung while clearing the jungle during the time of jhum cultivation, while
the Rengma cultural troupe demonstrated ‘Ngada Dance,’ which is traditionally
performed annually during the Ngada Festival to mark the completion of an
agricultural cycle and the Phom cultural troupe performed ‘Chukchela,’ a
traditional art of pounding rice by women folk in locally crafted wooden mortar
and wooden pestle.
The Khiamniungan cultural troupe presented a song ‘Neulu
Zui,’ which is sung while babysitting a child and the Lotha cultural troupe
performed ‘Eramoren Khyo Khung Rukhung,’ a victory stone pulling activity
practised by their forefathers.
