The Kuki troupe at the Hornbill Fest showcasing their daily life style . The Kuki youths performing their indigenous game at the Hornbill fest.
The Kukis are an ethnic group that spread throughout the Northeastern region of India, Northwest Burma and Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh. In Northeast India they are present in all the states except Arunachal Pradesh. This dispersal across international borders is mainly attributed to the British colonial policy.
The term Kuki, in literature, first appeared in the writing of Rawlins when he wrote about the tribes of the Chittagong Hill Tracts. It refers to "wild tribe" comprising numerous clans. These clans share a common past, culture, customs and tradition. They speak in dialects that have a common root language belonging to the Tibeto-Burman group.
The Kukis have Mongoloid features and are generally short-stature with straight black hair and dark brown eyes. The different Kuki clans are recognised as scheduled tribe of India.This tribe recognition is based on the dialect spoken and region. Kuki is composed of many different entities and clans.
Nagaland, 'The Land of Festivals' and the warm Naga people, lies in the North Eastern part of India. Historically, the Nagas are known as headhunters and have always been brave warriors.
Sometimes Nagaland is also referred to as "The Switzerland of the East". The region is primarily hilly and has a pleasant climate all through the year. It is perhaps the best place for the adventurous at heart and makes an ideal place for trekking and camping.
Also known as Paradise on earth The Dzukou Valley is the most famed valley of Nagaland and the natural beauty of the area is absolutely captivating.
Another attraction for tourists is the Kohima War Cemetry. The cemetery is a tribute to the soldiers who laid down their lives pushing back the Japanese army during the Second World War. The bodies of around 1,100 British and 330 Indian soldiers are buried here.
One of the biggest cathedrals of North East India is located at Aradura Hill in Kohima. Its magnificent architecture makes it an important landmark of Kohima.
The Hornbill Festival is named after the Hornbill, a large, magnificent forest bird.
Held every year at the Naga Heritage Village in Kisama about 12 kms from Kohima, the festival is held over a period of 7 days annually. The entire Heritage Village was built for the sole purpose of hosting this festival and the16 tribes of Nagaland each have their own representative hut in the village. Organized by the Govt. of Nagaland, the festival showcases the entire spectrum of the rich culture of the various naga tribes.
The hornbill festival was created to bring together the various tribes of the State to display their culture and tradition in the form of dances, songs, sports, foods and many other colourful events. People from within India as well as foreign visitors experience and witness the colourful festival with great enthusiasm.
Delicious, mouth-watering and typically Naga food from the different tribes is served in various huts or morungs. Each Morung also has its own restaurant, which serves their specific tribal delicacy. Rice beer is always in great demand and tourists don't mind standing in long serpentine queues for a taste of the same.
Source : Wikipedia
This footage is part of the professionally-shot broadcast stock footage archive of Wilderness Films India Ltd., the largest collection of HD imagery from South Asia. The Wilderness Films India collection comprises of tens of thousands of hours of high quality broadcast imagery, mostly shot on HDCAM / SR 1080i High Definition, Alexa, SR, HDV and XDCAM. Write to us for licensing this footage on a broadcast format, for use in your production! We are happy to be commissioned to film for you or else provide you with broadcast crewing and production solutions across South Asia. We pride ourselves in bringing the best of India and South Asia to the world... Reach us at rupindang @ gmail . com and admin@wildfilmsindia.com.