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Miss India NY to celebrate its 25th year
The oldest Indian pageant outside India - Miss India New York - has come a long way, reports Lalit K Jha.
The oldest Indian pageant outside India - Miss India New York - has come a long way since 1980 when it was held for first time in the basement of the Air India office at New York with just 20 people in the audience.
In its 25th year, although the 23rd edition, Miss India New York is scheduled to be held at the prestigious Haft Auditorium of Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, wherein hundreds of people are likely to be present to see the event on Saturday night, August 13.
Though the winner of the pageant would move on to the Miss India Pageant U.S. -- to be held at Tampa in Florida - the Miss India New York still is considered to be a prestigious event, because it was the first one to take the lead in organizing such an event.
"At that time, no one thought about it," Dharmatma Saran, chairman of the India Festival Committee, which organises the annual event, told HindustanTimes.com.
"It is a long journey for Miss India New York, which is becoming more and more poplar each passing year, both in terms of number of contestants and attracting crowd," he said.
The first Miss India New York was Richa Sharma, who later was married to the popular Indian actor Sanjay Dutt. Soon after winning, she was selected by Devanand for his film "Hum Navjawaan".
And the present Miss India New York Subrina Dhammi, has joined as staff reporter for the NBC television. "I had a wonderful reign as Miss India New York," said Subrina. "I am looking forward to passing the crown on to another young lady," she said.
Giving details of the pageant, Saran said it is "very different" from what is being held in India. "Our sole emphasis is placed on the talent and promotion of Indian culture. Unlike other pageants, there us no swim suit here," he said.
The contestants participate in Indian attire, evening gown and talent segments. Winners are decided after a question-and-answer segment featuring the top five contestants.
Saran said it all started in 1974 when the Indian Festival Committee began its first annual India Festival in Central Park, New York in 1974. An integral component of the festivals were the immensely popular fashion show, he said.
This fashion show, Saran said become so popular by 1979 that it was decided to start the first Miss India Pageant from 1980. New York took lead by organizing the first regional pageant.
