Search for Beauty Queen begins

Persistence, perseverance and pursuit of excellence are the wonts of Dharmesh Parikh, which is why, despite personal discomfort and severe odds, he continues to organise the annual Miss Indianz Beauty Pageant.

The event has grown to become a national contest over the years and this year is no exception. Scheduled to be held at the Auckland Town Hall on August 7, the Pageant has thus far attracted 25 young women from North and South Islands.

Reshab D Parikh Productions, of which Dharmesh is a Director, is presenting the annual programme, which will also test the ability of both to promote bigger events in the ensuing years. Dharmesh won the National Director of the Year Award from Miss India Worldwide Pageants last year, a testimony to his organisational skills. We begin showcasing the contestants in this issue.

Jacinta Lal

Sports, Physical Fitness and Beauty Pageants seem to be the prime focus of this 21-year-old (she celebrated her birthday last fortnight) Wellingtonian, who says she is proud of her Fiji-Indian roots.

Proficient in netball, with several tournaments to her credit, Jacinta Lal says there is nothing more challenging and satisfying than promoting trilogy of cultures including those of India, Fiji and New Zealand.

“The forthcoming contest will provide the right opportunity,” she said.

Latisha Patel

Meeting new people and making them friends is among the reasons why Latisha Patel enrolled herself to participate in the Contest.

“I have entered this contest to represent the Indian culture and youth, and enjoy the wonderful experience,” she said.

Latisha takes pride and joy in everything that she does and the forthcoming beauty contest will be no exception.

Lucy Russell

Papakura may be the far end of Auckland but for 17-year-old Lucy Russell, distance is of no consequence, for she has flown as far as Chicago in the US to represent New Zealand in the Miss Teen contest 2009.

Born and raised in an Indo-Maori (her father is Maori) family, she understands the beauty of representing more than one culture. 

“I am passionate about modelling and beauty pageants. I believe Miss Indianz contest suits me best,” she said.

Nidhi Malhotra

She is one of those vivacious young women who would readily dish out her vital statistics even before you ask her name but Nidhi Malhotra has lofty ambitions in life. As well as becoming a famous model, she hopes to travel around the world.

“But most important of all, I would like a buy a beautiful home for my mother. She has given me her best and hence deserves the best from me,” she said.

Sadhana Walsh

This student of Wellington Girls’ College believes that the Capital City needs someone to represent the cultures of India and New Zealand.

“Born and raised in Wellington, I share Indian and European ethnicity to which my mother and father belong. I consider this a distinct advantage to participate in the Contest,” Sadhana Walsh said.