Hornbill Festival's Kerala connection: Pop sensation Aoora thrills crowds with 'Thi Thi Thara'

Kohima's prestigious Hornbill Festival, which is currently under way at the Naga Heritage Village Kisama, is attracting large crowds from various parts of the country and the globe. On Day 5, South Korean artist and global sensation Aoora thrilled the audience, performing his genre-defying music. The crowd went into a frenzy as he sang 'Thi Thi Thara' (Kuttanadan Dreams), his version of the traditional Kerala boat song 'Kuttanadan Punjayile'. 'Thi Thi Thara', which was shot in Kerala, was released earlier this year.

Prior to the event, Aoora, who had been part of the now-disbanded South Korean pop band AA, posted an update about the event on his Instagram story. “Hello Nagaland. I will be performing at Hornbill Festival.” He later shared a video along with the crowd.

As per Nagaland's state tourism official, over 86,000 people visited the heritage village venue to enjoy the spectacular silver jubilee edition of the Hornbill Festival of Nagaland in the first five days, reports PTI. The 10-day long Hornbill Festival, also coined as the festival of festivals, an annual tourism promotional event of the state government, commenced on December 1. It has attracted 86,640 visitors including 1,715 foreigners, 22,546 domestic tourists and 62,379 locals in the first five days of the festivities, said Joint Director of Tourism Toka E Tuccumi.

Visitors watched colourful traditional performances of the 18 recognized tribes of the state on the theme 'Cultural Connect' on the fifth day. One of the partner states for this edition, Sikkim also showcased their cultural items during the day. However, the Naga tug-of-war competition between the Naga tribes organised by the Department of Youth Resources and Sports with participants in their traditional attire bewildered the visitors. Angami tribe emerged champion with Garo and Konyak bagging second and third positions in the men's category.

The Angami tribe also won the women's category with Sangtam and Kachari tribes winning second and third positions respectively. Beside cultural performances and indigenous games, visitors also enjoy the evening Hornbill International Music Festival conducted by the Task Force for Music and Arts. Various international, national and local bands and artists are taking the stage from 5 pm daily at the main avenue. Moreover, the activities of the Hornbill Festival are also spread to at least four more districts including Dimapur, Phek, Wokha and Zunheboto.