MILESTONE: Femina Miss India pageant enters 50th year

Miss India World 2012 Vanya Mishra realizes she is one of a very few women who have actually had the opportunity to wear a crown. STR/AFP/Getty Images

Mumbai, Sep 18 (IANS) The Femina Miss India beauty pageant Tuesday kick-started the celebrations of its 50 years.

The first Miss India, Meher Castellino, who was joined by other former Miss India beauties at a function here, said that even though 50 years had passed, it doesn’t feel all that long ago that she won the crown.

“It feels like just yesterday, I won the contest. But I have been watching all the contests and every time I try and guess who the winner will be and 80 per cent of the time I get them right,” she told IANS at an event celebrating the 50 years of Femina Miss India in Mumbai Tuesday evening.

Current Miss India World Vanya Mishra said: “It was my childhood dream to wear the Miss India crown, I always wanted to be a Miss India. This is like a dream come true. Very few women have actually got an opportunity to wear this crown.”

Singer Shibani Kashyap sang a song that celebrated the true essence of being a woman.

From left, Rochelle Maria Rao, Femina Miss India International 2012; Vanya Mishra, Miss India World 2012; and Prachi Mishra, Femina Miss India Earth 2012. IANS

Rochelle Maria Rao, who is Miss India International 2012, said that being a part of the Miss India family is like being part of a special club.

“It is like being part of a sisterhood, which has lasted 50 years. We have shown the world that Indian women can make changes wherever they go,” she said.

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