Winter Festival

This two-day festival is organized annually by the Department of Tourism, Government of Mizoram, at the Tuirial Airfield which is an abandoned airstrip located located about 21 kilometres from Aizawl's City centre. Celebrated usually during the second-last weekend of November, it is designed to showcase the culture and culture and traditions of Mizoram along with a variety of entertaining shows. The Winter Festival was originally known as "Thalfavang Kut". The essence of Thalfavang Kut reflects the close unit society and deep camaraderie that knits the Mizos together no matter where they are. The origins of this festival are deeply rooted in the tough and courageous past of the Mizos. The State was gripped by serious insurgency in the 1960s and 70s. This displaced families from their homes, villages and towns. Several Students had to seek refuge in neighboring states where they continued with their education. Not only did they have to adjust to a completely different society, but were also haunted by the tragedies they witnessed at home along with a yearning for the lush green hills of their home state. These students thus birthed the idea of Thalfavang Kut, an annual festival that was held wherever the Mizo diaspora lived. After getting together, they would perform traditional dances, sing folk songs, share their experiences, encourage each other and, at the end of the day, share a feast. Today, the Winter Festival is celebrated with a plethora of activities, games, music and entertainment. Other features of this festival include exhibition of handlooms and handicrafts, traditional dances and music, performance by well-known artistes and bands, carnivals, and local cuisine, to name a few. The main highlights of this entertaining festival are hot air ballooning and powered hand gliding: both of which are not to be found anywhere else in the north east of India. To add to the long list of activities is the annual MIMSA Motor Sports racing which also takes place during the festival.