The second edition of the two-day 'Autumn Festival', a prelude to the Hornbill Festival, began on Friday at Nagaland House with the presence of Nagaland Tourism and Higher Education Minister Temjen Imna Along and chief guest, Director General, Ministry of Tourism Manisha Saxena.
While speaking to ANI, Temjen Imna Along said the autumn festival is giving a chance to learn about the Nagas who are the indigenous inhabitants of Nagaland's heritage.
He said he is blessed to be in charge of ministry tourism by which he can show the culture of Nagaland to the world.
Speaking on the uniqueness of the Hornbill Festival, the tourism minister said, "Unlike many other various other parts of the world, Nagaland has its own heritage which is neither crafted nor curated. It is a platform where all 17 tribes of the state come together and showcase their culture to the people."
Heaping praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Temjen Imna said, "he is the epitome of strength and is committed to the nation called Bharat."
He said PM Modi is not only a motivation to him but to the whole world.
{{/usCountry}}He said PM Modi is not only a motivation to him but to the whole world.
{{/usCountry}}"My guru ji, PM Narendra Modi ji is the epitome of resilience, strength and commitment towards his people. You go anywhere and see how he is working very hard and how committed he is to the nation called "Bharat", Temjen Imna said.
Speaking to ANI, Manisha Saxena said, "People just heard about the Hornbill Festival but don't know much about the festival. The autumn festival is providing some experiences of the hornbill festival. It is a good opportunity for everyone and these festivals should be held not only in northeastern states but also in areas where people have no clue about the festival."
"The Hornbill Festival is well known across the world. It is a product and a brand in itself. People in Delhi have heard about the hornbill festival but don't know about the festival," she added.
She further said that if people get inspired by the event then they will go to the Hornbill Festival which will give a boost to tourism.
"Such activities bring a large number of tourists which will help in increasing tourism," she added.
The Autumn festival offers people a taste of the vibrant Hornbill festival, catering especially to those unable to make the journey to Nagaland.
This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.