Between Tradition and Entertainment
By Asangba Tzudir
The 26th edition of the Hornbill Festival has unfolded at the Naga Heritage Village, Kisama, Kohima, bringing together the myriad colourful tribal cultures of Nagaland under one roof. This year too, locals, domestic and foreign tourists have thronged the festival arena. On paper, and in many ways on the ground, Hornbill 2025 seems to underscore that the festival is indeed evolving, transforming from a regional cultural festival to one of a ‘high-profile’ international platform. With the growing number of partner countries and state partner the festival is expanding its horizon beyond local boundaries.
The country partnership also reflects the festival’s evolution not just as a tribal showcase but one of global cultural exchange thereby amplifying Nagaland’s global visibility and presence. The festival’s core remains its portrayal of folk dances, music, indigenous games and sports, crafts, Naga food, and rituals which generally forms the main performances and exhibitions of each day in the Kisama arena in showcasing the Naga heritage.
Over the years, for the many visitors from India and abroad and who gets to see ‘glimpses’ of the Naga life world during the 10 days, this festival becomes their primary contact with Naga traditions and the Naga way of life through the Naga architecture, folk songs and dances, Naga textiles, and community values. While the festival has attracted tourists from other states in India and abroad attests to the fact that the Hornbill festival showcases the unique and colourful ‘Naga life-world’ not seen elsewhere.
However, as the festival gains popularity, and considering the market and marketability forces, we must also ask: Are we showcasing the authentic Naga traditional culture? Or is it shifting towards a curated display? The risk of commodification looms large when tourism and foreign gaze become part of the equation. Performances may become tailored, selected for their ‘marketability’ rather than authenticity, crafts and food stalls may drift towards what sells rather than what is traditional.
The efforts to draw International tourists and also having foreign country partners suggest that Hornbill is increasingly becoming outsider-oriented. And so the Hornbill Festival comes to function as a cultural diplomacy towards presenting Naga cultural heritage to the outside world. Yet, this shift may distance the festival from its grassroots purpose. Nonetheless, this festival has also become an integral space for many locals to see the traditional culture of their forefathers. And so within the so called modern waves of changes and the festival going through a process of re-shaping, any form of mis-representation of the real may be seen as the real especially by the younger generation.
Also, there may be a despondent sense even among Nagas that what was once meant to preserve community memory and celebrate tribal identity is now partly about pleasing a tourist crowd, securing foreign partnerships, and promoting a brand of ‘Naga culture’ that fits with global appetites. While the Hornbill Festival continues to evolve in terms of scale, scope, outreach, and ambition, it has also moved from a regional cultural festival to a platform that promotes heritage and tourism. This itself puts the festival at risk of becoming just another ‘content-less’ entertainment. The commodification of culture, prioritizing display over form, content and substance, can lead to shallow portrayals and where tradition morphs into tourist-friendly exhibition. There is more to the roots than the ‘photogenic’ moments and ‘easy to digest’ versions of culture.
Yes, the Hornbill festival has undeniably grown in terms of attendance, visibility, and ambition while offering a powerful platform for cross-cultural exchange and tribal representation. However, the very forces of tourism and globalization which propel its growth threaten to dilute the authenticity that was its original strength.
If Hornbill is to remain grounded beyond the glossy travel brochure, organizers must guard against the slide from tradition to meaninglessness, and that performances stay rooted in real practices, and where commercial interests do not outweigh cultural integrity. Therein, Hornbill will truly live up to its name, not just as the festival of festivals, but a living witness to the enduring identity and spirit of the Nagas.
(Dr. Asangba Tzudir contributes a weekly guest editorial for The Morung Express. Comments can be emailed to asangtz@gmail.com).
