Hiyang hiren

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Hiyang hiren is a large traditional royal race boat used in the Hiyang Tannaba ceremony during Lai Haraoba, a Meitei religious festival. The boat is believed to have spiritual powers and is part of religious rites. Meitei people think worshiping the boat will protect them from evil. The Hiyangloi Hanchapa, the boat’s maker, decorates it with the stern bearing the head of a Sangai deer. The boat is about 54 feet long, and the racing ceremony lasts two days each year.