Shrutika Sharma from Nainital, Uttrakhand, impressed the judges to win the crown of the Miss Himalaya Pageant 2019 in a modest show in McLeod Ganj Upper Dharamshala (Himachal) last night.
“I feel like on cloud nine,” she says after winning the crown. She also won a prize of one lakh rupees (1,400 USD approx).
Shalika Rana was named the First Runner-up and Sapna Devi was the Second Runner-up. They received 50,000 and 25,000 rupees respectively.
The 22-year-old winner is 168 cm tall. She has a B Tech degree, and currently is a flight attendant. She likes reading fiction and history, dancing, and singing.
“My parents and my sister were my biggest support system. A great thanks to my relatives and friends who promoted my Miss Photogenic profile to get votes and boosted me for the pageant.
“I understand this comes with great responsibility. I am not only going to focus on my career but society as well. I will focus on uplifting our Pahadi (mountain) culture, promotion of Himalayan beauty, and expansion of tourism.”
The organising director Lobsang Wangyal , the organising director of Miss Himalaya Pageant 2019 said , “ A Total of Eight contestants participated in four rounds on the Finale Night to decide the winner. They were judged by a three-member jury.”
He added that This event which is being organised since 2012, is named as Miss Himalaya Pageants and is being celebrated every year at Dhsaramshala.
The Miss Himalaya Pageant was inaugurated in October 2012 by Lobsang Wangyal Productions, and has continued yearly since. The event is aimed at empowering young women from the entire Himalayan region, promoting its culture, preserving its environment, and fostering friendship among the Himalayan people.The Pageant brings on one stage women from the entire Himalayan region, from Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh. The Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) spreads throughout 10 states: Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura, as well as the hill regions of two states: Assam and West Bengal. “The Young women from Bhutan, Nepal, and Tibet are also welcome to participate in the Pageant,” said Lobsag.
Arvind Sharma is an award winning bi-lingual journalist with more than 20 years of experience.
He has worked with Divya Himachal, Dainik Jagran, Dainik Bhasker, Vir Partap, Ajit and PTI.
In 2010, he was conferred the Himachal Kesri journalism award. He reports on the Tibetan Government in Exile, politics, sports, tourism and other topics. He lives in Dharamshala.
