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Lamjei ( The race )
Lamjei is a popular annual
athletic event in Manipur. The competitors are restricted to the pannas
( Revenue / Administrative Units ). The length of the race varies, though
usually it is half a mile.
The first part of the race
consists of heats - two pannas at a time. The winners of the heats
run again, till each athlete has competed. The ultimate winner is the one
who wins the race of the year, but the winner can be declared only, when he
touches the kanglasha or the dragon inside the palace enclosure.
Winners of previous Lamjeis are allowed to participate again in the contest.
All the winners are exempt
from compulsory duties of state for specified periods of time or for the
rest of the athlete's life, determined by the skill and excellence of the
athlete under consideration.
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