Nagaland, also known as the "Land of Festivals", where every tribe celebrate their festival with splendid adorning colourful traditional attires, is a hidden gem of a state in North East India. It is truly a land filled with natural beauty and diverse culture.
Every month a different festival is organised by various tribes. People across the world are now adding Nagaland to their bucket lists to come and enjoy this cultural extravaganza with the local tribes, which in turn is bringing cultural tourism to the state.
Two major festivals in Nagaland in terms of importance and grandness are the Hornbill festival, celebrated in the first week of December, followed by the 'Aoling festival', celebrated lavishly for six days from the 1st week of April where every day has its specific name crowned to it with the Konyak tribe of Nagaland.
So, here is everything you need to know about the Aoling Festival of Nagaland. Mon will be witnessing the celebration from April 2nd to April 12th, 2024 this year.
How is the festival celebrated?
The Konyak tribe, famous for their headhunting skills celebrates Aoling Festival in the Mon district of Nagaland with colourful dresses, food, rice wine and meat preparations. The festival is celebrated to mark the start of the Konak New Year and the arrival of the spring season after seeds are sown in the new field. The tribes make animal sacrifices to appease the divine spirit for a good harvest season. The festival is celebrated with immense joy, unity and happiness among the people.
The Konyaks weave traditional cloths, look after the animals that will be sacrificed and prepare the festival food and beer for the festival in the first three days of the festival known as Hoi Lah Nyih, Yin Mok Pho Nyih and Mok Shek Nyih.
On the fourth day, known as Lingyu Nyih, the tribal members dress up with their best headgear, colourful traditional attire and jewellery while spending the whole day dancing, singing and feasting as a community, while the men engage in the use of spears and guns and play log drums. The dances performed symbolises the tribe’s history as headhunters.
The last two days, known as Lingha Nyih and Lingshan Nyih, are used for cleaning the village and individual houses while spending time with family.
The highlight of the Aoling festival is the shooting of the gun going off at all times, symbolising the glory of the headhunting days of the Konyaks. Beautiful red coral tree flowers and red lilies bloom during this time of the festival and people sing songs about them in their local dialect.
How to reach the Aoling Festival?
Trains are available for Nagaland from various parts of the countries with Dimapur being the closest railway station to the Mon district. From there local passenger trains are available to reach Kohima.
You can also fly to the Dimapur Airport which is 76 kms from Kohima.
It is advised to take help of local tour operators as they would be able to arrange further mode of transportation and ensure all safety measures during the festival.
Important things you must know while visiting the festival-
-Keep your passport with you with 6 months validity.
-For tourists holding non Indian passport- an Indian visa is also required for touring the city. So apply in advance.
- Pack essentials as they are not easily found.
-Respect the local culture and lifestyle of the tribe.
-Solo female traveler should carry all the essentials and have the helpline numbers handy.
-Don’t take pictures at places where photography is prohibited.
-Don’t give food or any other materials to the locals.
So here is you excuse to visit the beautiful state of Nagaland and make unforgettable memories while immersing yourself in the local culture!
Planning to visit Nagaland soon? Do not miss out on our Nagaland Guide to help you explore the best of the country.
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