Kohima, Dec 7 (PTI) Thousands of men, both old and young, on Thursday pulled a huge wooden traditional Naga village gate during the ongoing Hornbill Festival near Kohima.

Draped in traditional Angami Naga attire and undeterred by rain, the men pulled the gate, measuring 10.11 feet by 5.8 feet, for over 3 km on National Highway 29 from Merhülietsa to T Khel Model village in Seithogei.

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The event was organised by Tsütuonuomia Khel Council of Kohima village.

Many elderly men, womenfolk and children dressed in traditional attires also walked alongside the 'gate-pullers', occasionally yodelling and cheering.

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The occasion was graced by Ambassador of the Republic of Peru to India, Javier Paulinich as the chief guest with Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio as the chief host.

In the olden days, almost every village of Angami Naga tribe had its own boundary and gate to safeguard the habitation from enemies and unwanted intrusion.

"Village gates are also erected along routes through which villagers go to their fields or travel outside their villages. Kohima village has 15 such gates," T Khel council chairman K Neibou Sekhose said at the start of the ceremony.

At Seithogei, beside the T Khel model village gate, 16 stone monuments named 'Unity Stones' have also been erected, symbolising the unity of the 16 districts of the state.

Paulinich inaugurated the T Khel gate while the CM unveiled the 'Unity Stones' in the presence of General Officer Commanding in Chief, Eastern Command, Lt. Gen. RP Kalita.

Rio thanked the people of the 25 villages who took part in the gate pulling ceremony and said that Hornbill Festival gives an opportunity to showcase the state's culture and traditions to the world.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)