Imphal: The first audition for the upcoming ‘Orange Queen’ beauty pageant was held in Imphal, Manipur on Tuesday. Twenty-two young applicants vying for the coveted title took part in the event.
The audition is part of the upcoming 16th state-level ‘Orange Festival 2019’ scheduled to be held from December 16 to 18 under the theme ‘Tamenglong Orange: The Centennial’s Pride’ in Tamenglong district.
The audition was conducted based on three categories — introduction & presentation, catwalk and confidence & smartness.
Nishikanta, the event director and choreographer of Blue Wings that is also managing the upcoming beauty contest, informed that another audition will be held on December 7 for those who couldn’t participate in the audition on Tuesday.
The selected participants from the auditions will have their official round of introduction during the inaugural ceremony of the festival. The grand finale of the ‘Orange Queen 2019’ contest is scheduled to be held on December 18.
According to organisers, Sherry Dangmei, a budding designer from the district, will also showcase her creativity with a special focus on Zeliangrong costumes.
Also Read: Manipur: Roadshow on traffic rules & road safety in Ukhrul
This year, the winner will take home a cash prize of Rs 1.5 lakh along with the title, the 1st and 2nd runners-up will be awarded Rs 1 lakh and Rs 75,000, respectively.
Moreover, the eight sub-titles of this year’s edition will also be awarded a cash prize of Rs 20,000 each. Apart from the beauty titles, the organisers have also announced to award a cash amount of Rs 30,000 to the best designer during the pageant competition.
Each year, the pageant is held with the aim to encourage the young girls to step out from their comfort zone and showcase their skills and talents through the platform. The pageant is also used as a mechanism to empower the young women of the region, Nishikanta said.
