Kohima (Nagaland) [India], October 3 (ANI): The Department of Tourism, Nagaland, is all set to celebrate the silver jubilee of the Hornbill Festival, scheduled from December 1 to 10 at the Heritage Village, Kisama."It's going to be a grand festival this year," said Dr G. Hukugha Sema, Commissioner and Secretary, Tourism, Nagaland.In preparation for the festival, the first coordination meeting was held with tribal Hohos and organisations at the department's directorate office on Wednesday, where two representatives from each tribal Hoho attended.Speaking to ANI after the meeting, Dr Sema said, "The tribal bodies are the core and backbone of the Hornbill Festival, and with their cooperation and collaboration, the state has successfully hosted twenty-four Hornbill Festivals so far." He noted that the twenty-fourth festival was a resounding success."Now we are going to have the most befitting and glorious 25th edition of the Hornbill Festival 2024," the Commissioner and Secretary added.He further mentioned, "The tribal bodies shared their ideas and highlighted the challenges they face during the festival, such as water scarcity, electricity, network connectivity, and financial constraints."The tribal representatives pointed out that the Rs 1.5 lakhs provided by the state government was insufficient to run the festival for ten days. In response, the Commissioner and Secretary said that the department would discuss increasing the funds this year, as the Hornbill Festival marks its 25th year.The officer also informed that the tribal bodies believe that if the Tourism Department is planning to extend the festival throughout the year from 2025 onwards, proper cooperation, coordination, and maintenance will be essential to sustain the activities.Regarding the preparations for the festival, Sema noted, "Due to the continuous elections this year and the extended monsoon rains, the preparations have been slightly delayed, but we are confident that the ongoing work will be completed by November 15, or at the latest by November 20."He also mentioned that the department is constructing a new gallery to accommodate more people, with some additional structures in the pipeline. (ANI)