Kohima, May 17: Three storeys high and done up with cane and bamboo, the ramp on which the Miss North-East 2004 beauty contest will be staged here on Wednesday justifies the hype around the pageant. Fourteen aspiring models from six northeastern states will strut their stuff on the big stage, hoping to impress the judges and the two special guests, Miss World-turned-actress Yukta Mookhey and model-turned-choreographer Kelly Dorjee. Assamese actress Akashitora is another celebrity invitee.
The contestants include three each from Manipur, Nagaland and Meghalaya, two each from Mizoram and Assam and one from Arunachal Pradesh.
Apart from the coveted titles, the top three will walk away with gifts galore and Rs 50,000, Rs 30,000 and Rs 20,000 in cash.
The Nagaland government is the major sponsor of the event and Miss Nagaland Sentila Jamir one of the participants.
The contest has been organised by the Beauty and Aesthetics Society of Nagaland, which successfully staged the Miss Nagaland contest last year.
To break the monotony of standard beauty pageants, the organisers have introduced two categories — best traditional wear and best evening wear — and decided to give the winner an additional responsibility: that of a goodwill ambassador.
“The winner will visit all the northeastern states as an ambassador,” Moasangla Jamir, who heads the society, said.
The contestants are already here and will participate in a full dress rehearsal tomorrow. Some Kohima-based artistes and a band from Mizoram will perform at the final show.