With the cash award she won, Omena wants to dedicate something for the welfare of the people with disabilities in the interest of her disabled aunty.

The Orange Queen Contest 2009 was held as part of the annual Orange Festival which has become a state level affair since 2003.

The beauty pageant was organised in connection with the 6th Orange Festival jointly organised by Tamenglong Orange Growers Federation and District Administration, Tamenglong held at the district headquarters.

Another young and gorgeous girl from Nambol Konkham village of Bishnupur district-Bonny Laishram bagged the first runners up title while her companion from Tamenglong district headquarters Ester Gangmei was adjudged the second runners up.

The first runner up title holder Bonny and second runner up title holder Ester got Rs 50,000 and Rs 30,000 each along with gift hampers and a basket of oranges each. The cash prizes and gift hampers were handed over by the dignitaries of the gala evening. Besides this six more beautiful contestants were also given six different sub-titles.

Those who won the subtitles during the night - long brain and beauty test included Sangila M( Miss Congeniality), Fonchunlieu Panmei (Miss Beautiful Smile), Pushparani H (Miss Photogenic), Margret Gonmei (Miss Beautiful Skin), Soma Laishram (Best Catwalk) and Catherine Rose (Miss Perfect Ten). The best designer award was bagged by Bikram who designed the costume of Miss Photogenic Pushparani.

Braving the chill and windy winter weather at the dusty local ground of this picturesque hill station till the late hours of the night, a panel of 5 judges from diverse fields scrutinized them through three rounds of walk-traditional, casual and formal on the ramp.

Besides the Rock music show by Jengam and Alvina Gonson, a sequence of dances by the local youth, the presence of Manipur’s prominent celebrities including Sadananda, Kaiku etc were also other crowd pullers of the evening show.

Earlier All Manipur Working Journalists’ Union decided to boycott the news of Orange Queen contest 2009 in protest against the misconduct of the organising committee towards the visiting reporters who covered the beauty pageant at the hill district headquarter. However, two days after the show, an emergency meeting of the union and Editors decided to revoke the boycott as the organising committee has also given an assurance to avoid such incidents in the future.