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America

USA Selects Its Indian Beauty Queens

Dec 12 :
Rijul Maini, a resident of Michigan, was crowned Miss India USA 2023. The 25 year old is a medical student, artist and a model. She is also the first Indian woman in the history of her medical school to be elected class president. Rijul plans to be a surgeon."I want to leave a positive lasting impact on my community and focus on women's financial independence and literacy" Rijul said. Sneha Nambiar from Massachusetts is crowned Mrs. India USA and Saloni Rammohan from Pennsylvania as Miss teen India USA in the same pageant.


 
(Rijul Maini - newly crowned Miss India USA)

 In the 41st year of the pageant 57 contestants from 25 states participated in three different categories - Miss India USA, Mrs. India USA and Miss Teen India USA. Winners of all three categories gets complimentary tickets to Mumbai to take part in worldwide pageants, also organized by the same organization, in October this year.

(The three winners - Rijul Maini,  Sneha Nambiar, Saloni Rammohan flanked by Neelam and Dharmatma Saran Chief Organizers.)

Started by New York based eminent Indian Americans Dharmatma and Neelam Saran , under the banner of Worldwide Pageants around 41 years ago, Miss India USA is the longest running running Indian pageant outside of India. This year pageant was presented by TV Asia and Royal Albert’s palace. It was a full house show with over 500 people in attendance.

(Khushi Patel - Miss India Worldwide 2022 receiving a plaque and her prize money of $8000.00 from Neelam Saran)

The judging panel included Shekhar Rahate Hollywood Fashion Designer, Monica Gill – Punjabi and Bollywood actor and also Miss India Worldwide 2014, Khushi Patel – Miss India Worldwide 2022 and a model, Sarita Rinki Pattnaik – Mrs. India Worldwide 2017 and Interior Designer, and Falguni Trivedi – former Miss India New York and philanthropist. Nishi Bahl State Director of New York was awarded State Director of the Year Award.

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(Celebrity Emcees - Ayushi Chhabra and Anuradha Maharaj)

Winners of the pageants here have gone to act in various Bollywood and Hollywood movies and also business world. Bela Bajaria a former Miss India USA and Miss India Worldwide was the only Indian American along with Vice President Kamla Harris in the 100 most powerful women in the world by Forbes Magazine this week.


(Bollywood actor Abhimanyu Dassani with committee members)

Pageant started with a magnificent opening dance number by all contestants choreographed by Shilpa Jhurani. "In addition to Bollywood dance and songs on stage, they give speeches, do motivational speaking, mono acting, sing popular American songs, hip hop, paintings" said Dharmatma Saran. Bollywood actor Abhimanyu Dassani also made an appearance as Special Guest. One highlight of the pageant was participation by 62 year Sunita Malhotra from Massachusetts in Mrs. India USA category who thrilled the audience with her bollywood dance performance. She was awarded well deserved Mrs. People’s Choice Award.

(Judges (from L to R) Falguni Trivedi, Shekhar Rahate, Sarita Rinki Pattnaik, Khushi Patel and Monica Gill)

We are very proud of the fact that we have been able to imbibe Indian values, traditions, cultures and performing arts among Indian origin youth across the world” with our motto “bringing India closer”, said Dharmatma Saran, Chairman and Founder
(62 years old Sunita Malhotra thrilled the audience with her Bollywood performance. Winner of People’s Choice Award)

Ayushi Chhabra – Mrs. India Nigeria 2017 and TV and Hollywood actor and Anuradha Maharaj – Miss India Trinidad 2011 were emcees. Audio Visual was provided by Media Logistics. Nishi Bahl was the choreographer assisted by Shilpa Jhurani.
(Swetha Kommoji of Delaware got Best Talent in Miss section is being awarded by Aarya Walvekar)





(Pictures courtesy of Suresh Jilla and Ashish Nigam)