The much-awaited 2020 edition of the Hornbill Festival will start from today from a virtual platform because of the pandemic.
A government statement on Monday said the Nagaland Virtual Hornbill Festival 2020 will be celebrated in a completely virtual mode and will be telecast through three TV channels and will also be made available on social media platforms.
The virtual event, government sources said, will at least give a sense of what the festival is all about and why one should attend it.\
According to the government statement, the virtual event will be showcased on NDTV 24×7 (Dec 1 — 10:30 am & Dec 5 12.30 pm); Northeast Live (Dec 1 — 11:30 am & Dec 3 — 3.30 pm) and Doordarshan Kendra ( Dec 1 — 5:30 PM & Dec 4 — 3 pm). It will also be uploaded and made available to viewers on all social media platforms.
“We decided to go ahead symbolically because safety comes first. It would have been difficult to host the festival because of the Covid-19 safety protocols. Holding it symbolically is better than going blank because it is a globally recognised festival. It will keep the spirit alive. Hopefully, we will return next year much bigger, much better and in a more colourful avatar. We are sure the virtual mode will convey the essence of the festival,” Khehovi Yeputhomi, adviser, tourism, art & culture, government of Nagaland, told The Telegraph.
Last year, the festival generated business worth Rs 100 crore over ten days and attracted footfall of about 2,82,811 visitors, signifying the importance the government and the people of the state attach to the festival, the biggest in the northeast.
