Guwahati: The ongoing Hornbill Festival is showcasing Northeast India like never before. While cultural performances have always been the epicentre of the festival, an all-women Konyak cultural troupe firing shots with muzzle-loading guns and performing the folk dance, ‘The Fearless Eastern Tigress’, is winning hearts.
On the fourth day of the ‘festival of festivals’, the all-women Konyak troupe, clad in traditional attire, delivered the exhilarating performance. The dance was part of ‘Cultural Connect’ in which 17 different Naga cultural troupes presented a glimpse of various Naga traditions.
They started their performance with each of the participants opening fire and then cheering while getting into formations for a graceful dance.
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Earlier this year, Konyak Naga women made their way into Guinness World Records for the ‘largest Konyak traditional dance’ consisting of 4,687 participants.
The Konyaks are believed to be very intelligent and an inventive tribe among the Nagas. They are the only tribe who make their own muzzle-loading guns and gun powder for the weapons from simple indigenous ingredients.
Known as headhunters of Northeast India, Konyaks are recognised among other Naga by their tattoos, which they have all over their face and hands; facial tattoos were earned for taking an enemy’s head. They also have the largest population among the Nagas.
