NEWSLINKS
US EDITION
COLUMNISTS
DIARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ELECTION 99
ELECTIONS
ARCHIVES

Search Rediff

Lara's theme rocks Cyprus

Miss India Lara Dutta was crowned Miss Universe in Cyprus on Saturday, ahead of 78 other contestants vying for the title.

In a glittering event in the island's capital, Nicosia, Lara spoke out in defense of the contest after after protests by religious and leftist groups which marred the start of the pageant.

''I think pageants like Miss Universe give young women a platform to follow the field we want, a platform to voice our opinions and make us stronger,'' the 21-year-old economics graduate told the panel of judges.

Tipped as a favourite early by the local media, Lara Dutta was backed by the vociferous Indian student community in Cyprus.

The pageant was held early this morning in Cyprus, to coincide with television prime time in the United States.

Miss Venezuela Claudia Moreno was first runner up and Miss Spain Helen Lindes, second runner up.

The venue was a basketball stadium decorated to resemble an ancient Greek amphitheatre.

As delegates paraded to mock-pagan rituals recalling Aphrodite, the ancient Greek goddess of beauty who, says legend, was born in the sea off the Cypriot coast, Greek orthodox priests held an all-night vigil in a nearby church.

''Shame on the pageant which shoots women down to the bottomless pits of hell,'' said a leaflet circulated during mass attended by some 50 parishioners, many elderly.

A heavy police presence kept a close eye on protesters carrying banners and shouting slogans complaining about the bill Cyprus will foot for the pageant, estimated in the vicinity of seven million dollars.

''We want schools and hospitals,'' said one banner.

''I'm a teacher and we have to beg for handouts and we are wasting money here on this pageant. Why?'' demanded one woman dressed in rags and carrying black bin bags. ''I'm Miss Universe,'' she joked.

Lara Dutta, who left home at 17 for a career in modelling, wants to be a journalist and go out in the field to unravel the truth.

''I like writing,'' says Lara (21), whose role model is CNN's daredevil war correspondent Christian Amanpour, wife of ex-US state department spokesman James Rubin.

The newly-crowned Miss Universe, whose hobbies are bungee jumping, para-gliding and water rafting, was confident of winning the title earlier won by only another Indian, Sushmita Sen.

Dutta, who is born of a Punjabi father and a half-European mother, knew even when she was 17 that beauty and glamour would take her to the pinnacle of glory.

And that came yesterday at the attractively decorated basketball stadium in Nicosia, Cyprus.

The beauty queen, who belongs to Bangalore, is also a culinary expert and claims she can claim she can prepare a mouthwatering moong ki daal .

Dutta chose not to go on a crash diet. ''A crash diet never works. You lose weight one day and add it the next.''

The Miss Universe, who eats very healthy food in right quantity, ate three meals a day -- half vegetable, half normal -- in the run-up to the event.

She jogs to keep fit. ''I haven't gym-ed seriously till I had to take part in the pageant.''

Dutta, who describes herself as an ''independent and ambitious girl who is learning every moment'', was aware of the challenges beauty models faced before they entered the contests. ''New faces are coming in every moment and one has to keep learning.''

The Indian emerged winner over Miss Venezuela Claudia Moreno, who was the first runner-up, and Miss Spain Helen Lindes, the second runner-up.

''I think pageants like Miss Universe give young women a platform to follow the field we want, a platform to voice our opinions and make us stronger,'' Dutta told the panel of judges.

She also plans to work for AIDS education among women.

''The majority of women in my country are illiterate and uneducated so we have to start there to educate them. That is what I will do with India and progress to the rest of the world.''

Seventy-nine beauty queens from as many countries participated in the contest. Dutta, an economics graduate, was a favourite of the local media. Indian students living in Cyprus gave her a standing ovation.

UNI

Back to top

Tell us what you think of this report