A Mao belle D Eloziia was crowned Miss Barak 2018 title of the first ever state level Barak Festival at Senapati district headquarters.
Senapati is located about 60 km north of Imphal.
This girl who is a resident of Robunamei village in Mao area of Senapati district beat 15 other beautiful contestants coming from different parts of the state in the beauty contest and went home richer with a cash prize of Rs 1.3 lakh.
The first and second runner up title of the beauty pageant held as part of the two day festival to promote and conserve Barak,the biggest river of Manipur, goes to Nenghoichong Haokip of Langol Imphal West district and Vaihochong Haokip of Gangpijang village under Kangpokpi district.
Nenghoichong got a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh while her fellow winner Vaihochong bagged Rs 70,000.
The Public health and engineering minister and Mao MLA Losii Dikho and Karong MLA DD Thaisii were the chief guest and guest of honour of the closing session of the festival.
Earlier Health and family welfare L Jayentakumar Singh,Education Minister Th Radheshyam singh and Phungyar MLA Khasim Vashum were the chief guest, president and guest of honour of the cultural session of the closing function on Friday.
Sharing his opinion during the evening session, Minister Dikho appealed to the people to bridge the communication gap between the different communities living in the state through communal harmony.
Miss Barak beauty contest, Tribal euphony 2018,Barak Voice hunt 2018 were the main highlights for the evening session.
The state level barak festival was formally inaugurated by the state chief minister N Biren singh on Thursday.
The festival was held to protect and conserve Barak river which originates from the hills of Liyai village in Manipur’s Senapati district and flows down through Senapati and Tamenglong districts before crossing over into Assam’s Cachar district and then into Bay of Bengal via Bangladesh, provides livelihood to five tribes – Mao, Maram, Poumai, Thangal and Zeliangrong in Senapati district alone.