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(Click on a photo to enlarge / resize)
IACA Beauty pageant 2007
Miss India Georgia Roshni Devlia and Miss Teen India Georgia
Ruhee Gadhia.
Text and Photo: Ravi R. Ponangi
Atlanta: Roshni Devlia won the title of Miss India Georgia 2007
and Ruhee Gadhia won the title of Miss Teen India Georgia 2007.
The IACA annual beauty pageant 2007 was held here on Saturday,
July 14, 2007 at Gwinnett center’s performing arts center. All
the contestants show cased their skills beautifully on all
aspects that received continuous applause from audience.
Nisha Palvia was first runner-up and Nirvi Shah the
second-runner up in the Miss India Georgia pageant. Farina Irani
and Suprina Patel were first and second in the Miss Teen India
Georgia segment respectively.
Roshni Devlia, winner of Miss India Georgia 2007 is an honors
graduate of Brookwood High school and plans to attend Emory
University in the fall. She has learnt Bharatnatyam for 12years,
graduating with her Arangetram and has learnt the Piano for 10
years. She is a member of her school’s Debate team, Academic
team and Spanish and International clubs. She wants to pursue a
career in law at Emory and plans to get a double major in
English and Middle Eastern studies and a minor in Spanish.
1st runner up of Miss India Georgia 2007 Nisha Palvia –
graduated with Honors from Walton High School and was the 3rd
runner up in her High school’s pageant and was named “Class
Beauty”. She is a rising freshman at Georgia Tech and hopes to
graduate with a double major in economics and journalism. She is
open-minded about her future and hopes to become a UN
correspondent or a writer. She is a teacher at Arya Dance
Academy in Norcross and enjoys oil painting and ping-pong.
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Winners of IACA Beauty Pageant 2007 |
2nd runner up Nirvi Shah – is a graduate of Chamblee Charter
High School and will be attending Emory University this fall
where she plans on double majoring in Premed and Dance. She has
learnt Bhartnatyam and Indian Classical Music from the Indian
Academy of Dance and Music and has intensively trained in
ballet, tap, jazz and acrobatics from the Dolores Werner Dance
studio. Nirvi has also been playing the harmonium and viola for
many years. She is participating in this pageant to prove that
there is nothing to be confused about Indian American.
Ruhee Gadhia, winner of Miss Teen India Georgia 2007 goes to
Brookwood High school. She was born in NYC and plans to return
there by attending NYU. She cheerleads nationally and is
currently captain for Galaxy All-stars. She also dances and
plays basketballs and wants to be either an actress or a lawyer
when she grows up.
1st runner up of Miss Teen India Georgia 2007 Farina Irani is a
sophomore at South Forsyth High. She has been playing tennis for
the last 8 years and plays for her high school. She has a brown
belt in Karate and enjoys swimming. She loves reading and acting
and would like to make a career in the field of journalism.
2nd runner up Suprina Patel is in 10th grade and is the
President of her sophomore class. She is a singer who is very
serious about her voice and practices her scales very regularly.
She is also very serious about school, has a 4.0 GPA and plans
on maintaining that. She is a strict vegetarian and will be
joining the Golf Team next year.
Each contestant was appeared in both western and Indian out
fits. In the talent round contestants displayed their skills
choreographed individually in dancing, acting combining both
western and India forms. Thus indicating the beauty of
integrating two cultures. Judging from the above performances,
top 5 from Miss Teen India Georgia and Miss India Georgia were
chosen. They were asked questions by judges.
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Participants in
IACA Beauty Pageant 2007 |
This annual beauty pageant that started in 1993 by India
American Cultural Association, IACA is different from other
beauty contests organized elsewhere. There are no body
measurements; no swim suits shows or wild display of costumes
and cosmetics. Instead there is an opportunity to display one’s
talents on the stage. This beauty pageant, a regular feature of
IACA is providing an opportunity to develop self-confidence and
competition to the young beauties of Georgia.
Earlier Gauranga Banik, president of IACA while welcoming the
gathering explained various activities undertaken during the
year and commended the community support and help of all past
presidents that he received from them. Then he introduced his
team of IACA office bearers and coordinators of beauty pageant.
Gauranga Banik has appealed the gathering to involve and attend
the forth coming Festival of India to be held on August 11th at
the same venue. Paddy Sarma, past president of IACA has also
spoken on the occasion.
Gauranga Banik told this correspondent, besides Beauty Pageant
the IACA's biggest annual event is the Festival of India, which
celebrates India's independence of India. Every August this
event draws several thousand attendees. It will be held on
August 11th at the Gwinnett Civic Center, one of the largest
venues available in metropolitan Atlanta. Festival activities
include VISA Camp and a Health Fair. They also include multiple
performances, seminars, exhibitions, and food booths that
celebrate Indian culture and heritage. Certain activities also
target children, he added.
Dr. Suvrat Bhargave and Parijat Chandra hosted the event.
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