As the saying ‘All good things must come to an end’ goes, the ten-day Hornbill Festival 2022 drew to an end this evening with a spectacular show of a colourful display of culture and music here at the arena in Naga Heritage Village, Kisama.

The closing ceremony of the 23rd edition of Hornbill Festival concluded with the lighting of bonfire by the special guest Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, honoured guest Judge of Supreme Court Sanjay Kishan Kaul, celebrity chef Gary Mehigan and several dignitaries, followed by the Unity Dance, which signifies the unity of the Naga people.

Speaking at the closing ceremony as the honoured guest, Judge of Supreme Court of India Sanjay Kishan Kaul acknowledged that Nagas are peace loving people who coexist in harmony with their unique cultural traditional system.

Kaul said he experienced the warmth and hospitality of the Nagas who are known for their bravery. Nagaland, a land of festivals, has been on the national and international map of tourism which is a positive step in ushering development in the state, he said and added that this kind of festival brings people together from all across the globe and creates a sense of unity in diversity.

Stating that the customary laws and traditions of the Nagas are unique and protected under the constitution of India, Judge Kaul said the Supreme Court has been recognising and upholding Nagas customary laws. Judiciary is an important pillar of democracy which gives opportunity and mechanism for dispute resolution, he said. A strong effective and vibrant judiciary is the backbone of the society, he added.

Judge Kaul said in order to ensure that no one misses out on the opportunity to approach courts due to social and economic barriers, it is his duty to ensure access to justice for all by bridging the gaps.

Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio addressing the ceremony said the week-long Hornbill Festival witnessed the coming together of all tribes, sub-tribes, government departments, NGOs, businessmen, entrepreneurs and artists amongst others.

Rio lauded the outstanding performances of the cultural troupes and artists from all over the state during the Hornbill festival of 2022. Rio added that there is an amazing amount of knowledge and experience in Nagaland that can be shared and learned from.

He said unity is something we all need to work on together and added that we need to take the right and responsible steps and move forward hand in hand. This is the vision we can only achieve together, the chief minister said.

According to the Directorate of Tourism, Government of Nagaland, the 23rd edition of Hornbill Festival has brought in a total of 1,40,299 visitors, out of which 1,026 were foreign tourists, 48,413 domestic tourists and 90,860 local tourists from Nagaland.

The official data on tourist statistics for this year’s Hornbill Festival, released today by the tourism department, shows high visitor footfall recorded on the fourth, ninth and tenth day of the festival.

On 4 December, 19,393 people were recorded to have attended the festival with 86 foreign tourists, 5,739 domestic tourists and 13,568 locals.

On 9 December, there were 16,409 visitors with 58 foreign tourists, 5,694 domestic and 10,657 local visitors.

On the final day, 10 December, a total of 22,546 people – the highest recorded in the past ten days – attended the festival, with 67 foreign tourists, 7,894 domestic tourists and 14,585 locals.

The data shows that the number of foreign tourists declined as the days went on while the number of domestic tourists and locals increased in the later period of the ten-day festival.

The number of domestic tourists stayed above 3,000 on all days of the festival, with an increase recorded on the last three days of the festival – 5,021 on 8 December, 5,694 on 9 December and 7,894 on 10 December.

Among the locals, the highest numbers were recorded on 4 December with 13,568 people attending the festival, on 9 December with 10,657 people and 10 December with 14,585 people.