1947. Amidst the euphoric celebrations of independence a queen was born in India. Since then it has been a long catwalk for Miss India. She has changed faces, changed style but not her identity. And she is still beautiful and young.

In 1947 the India Film Journalism Association conferred upon Pramila, an actress, the title of Miss India. Many years later, in 1964, a Femina cover girl, Meher Mistry, was chosen to represent India at an international beauty contest. Since then, the most beautiful young women in the country have been selected at the Miss India competitions to participate in pageants abroad.

Reita Faria, a young medical student from Grant Medical College, Mumbai created history by being winning the title of Miss World in 1966. She was the first Indian to have won an International title. Many new faces then appeared and participated at these International pageants. However, it took 32 years for another winner to come on the scene. Well almost...

Madhu Sapre will always remain the girl who almost became Miss Universe. She was selected Miss Universe second runner- up in 1992. Even though Madhu missed the coveted crown the professionalism and confidence of the fellow contestants inspired her to return to India with a complete plan for the future Miss India contestants. Her valuable advice proved beneficial for the contestants with Namrata Shirodkar winning the Miss Universe 3rd Runner- up in 1993 and Asia Pacific Quest titles in 1993.

The year 1994 was an epochal year for the Indian beauties. It was only then that the world took a second look at the Indian beauty queens whose popularity till then was confined only to the borders of their land. Sushmita Sen jolted the country out of its slumber by winning the Miss Universe title in the month of May. Hardly had the Indians rejoiced at this new-found victory when Aishwarya Rai added to the winning streak when she geacefully walked away with the Miss World crown later that year!

Since then there has been no looking back for the Indian women. India was in the forefront of the world beauty contests almost every alternate year. Diana Hayden in1997 and more recently, Yukta Mookhey in 1999. A remarkable feat for any country. Now India has four Miss World title holders, which is just one short of the highest holder of the crown, Venezuela.

After the double triumph of Sushmita and Aishwarya in 1994, an urgent need was felt to professionalise the competition. As a result, highly reputed designers and event managers were brought in to showcase the prestigious contest to perfection. Gradually, as the concept of beauty evolved, the contest, underwent a sea-change, developed by Femina under the Times of India umbrella.

Since then the pageant has grown by leaps and bound. In the years gone by, the lucky girl went home clutching her satin sash and a tiny packet of Rs 5000. If the sponsors were still more generous, she also got to take back a table- fan , ice- bucket, refrigerator, a steel cupboard, and new bottles of nail polish. Today, however, she wins cars, expensive jewellery, state-of-the-art audio and video systems, kitchen wares, wardrobes for the International Pageant, accessories , modeling contracts and if she wishes a bright future in the tinsel town of hindi films. A girl next door becomes an overnight celebrity. Her name and pictures, splashed across the front page of Times of India and almost every other leading publications.

Today, the coveted crowns of Femina Miss India Universe, Femina Miss India World and Femina Miss India Asia Pacific are contested by not just the most beautiful women in this country, but by a group of talented individuals, who now epitomise the credo of beauty with a purpose that stretches beyond the world of glamour. Winners have become professionals in various fields -- journalism, law, design, films and, of course, beauty.

Truly Women of Substance

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