Thousands of Angami Nagas, both young and old, conducted the traditionally important stone pulling ceremony in state capital Kohima.
The traditional ceremony was organised by Angami Sports Association (ASA) as a prelude to its Golden Jubilee celebration coinciding with the state's Hornbill Festival.
The stone pulling ceremony was the main attraction of the third day of Hornbill Festival as around 6000 Angami men pulled a stone a distance of around 4 km from KMC Parking lot at Old Minister's Hill and culminate at Phoolbari Y Junction.
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The around 22 feet long stone weighed hundreds of kgs.
Dressed in traditional attires, women walked in the front extending moral support to the men.
As the ceremony continued with traditional yelling, which when translated into English means "we will take you to a better place", they also fired from muzzle loading guns, during which the traffic movement was halted for almost five hours.
Nagaland Chief Minister T R Zeliang, other ministers and dignitaries were present on the occasion.
The ceremony concluded with grand feast in the evening.
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Zeliang called upon the people of the North East to
work together towards preserving and protesting the rich traditional and cultural diversity of the region.
"North East tribals are small in number, and unless we take care to preserve our culture and identity, bigger communities will not recognise or respect us," said Zeliang at the ceremony.
"Nagas, while moving fast towards modernisation, are equally good in preserving our roots, our identity, our culture and traditions and perhaps, this is one area, where we, the Nagas are relatively doing well, as compared to the other tribals of North East Region," he said.
Zeliang acknowledged the Angami Sports Association for organising this Stone Pulling ceremony, which he said "is definitely one of the most interesting traditions of the Angamis, which has been practised from time immemorial".
