For 39 years, the Miss India USA pageant has been an incredible platform to showcase the beauty, talents and poise of Indian-origin women and girls living in the United States. In addition to the list of delightful contestants, the pageant also attracts a line-up of reputable judges from all across the world. This year, for the first time, the name of a Guyanese has been included on that prestigious list; he is none other than the effervescent, Hashim Ali – a local performer and the holder of the Miss India Guyana Franchise.
Ali, a young father of one, said that he felt wonderfully privileged to have been asked to serve and share his expertise with the notably diverse panel, featuring a host of big names in the pageantry world of Florida, Los Angeles and Washington, USA, as well as St. Maarten.
The panel included, as its Chief Judge, the iconic Diana Hayden, a gifted actress and the third Indian woman to win the Miss World Pageant (1997).
This year, the pageant was hosted at the Royal Albert Palace in New Jersey over the weekend. It comprised three unique categories – Miss India, Mrs. India and Miss Teen India USA. The dazzling affair attracted a total of 61 glamourous participants drawn from 30 States across the US.
According to Ali, the contestants were not only stunning, but their stories were impactful, and they all boasted of vibrant, charismatic personalities that captivated the audience’s attention from the onset. “Even with such richness and expertise on the panel, it was surely not an easy job as [the] 61 delegates took to the stage and mastered the art of pageantry in four rounds,” Ali dished.
Amid all the glitz and glamour, the contestants also brought to the stage, a range of exquisite talents, and a rich bank of undeniable intelligence. At the end of it all, Vaidehi Dongre, born in India and raised in America, was crowned Miss India USA 2021. Shortly after winning the coveted crown, the 25-year-old University of Michigan graduate took to Instagram to express how honoured she was to represent Indian immigrants living in the US.
“This journey has been a whirlwind but at the root of it, I have always strived to be a role model for young girls, celebrate my rich South Asian heritage and leave a lasting positive impact on my community,” the young beauty said. She also paid a heart-warming tribute to her parents. “Aai and Baba, the values you inculcated in me and Vineet at such a young age have given me strength in times of hardship and light in times of darkness. Making sure that I learned the roots of where I come from: Marathi, Hindi, reading & writing, mythology, culture, food, love, spirituality, all whilst living in the US was no easy feat, thank you,” Dongre wrote. Meanwhile, 20-year-old Arshi Lalani, who dazzled everyone with her performance and confidence, was declared the First Runner-Up; reports are that she is currently battling a brain tumour. Nonetheless, the talented 17-year-old Navya Paingol, also from Michigan, captured the Miss Teen India USA title, while Swahty Ashok from Connecticut was adjudged Mrs India USA. The winners of all three categories will receive complimentary tickets to travel to Mumbai, India as contestants of the 2021 Miss India Worldwide pageant slated for later in the year. At that final leg of the pageant, Dongre, Ashok and Paingol will go head-to-head with the winners of the Miss India Guyana pageant, which is slated for September.
