The winner of the 70th Miss Universe was announced on December 13, today, and it was India's Harnaaz Sandhu who brought home the crown. The 21-year-old is the third Indian woman to be crowned Miss Universe. She won the title at Eilat, Israel.
Twenty-one years after Lara Dutta won the title of Miss Universe in 2000, Sandhu, who hails from Punjab, was crowned the Miss Universe. In the final rounds, she competed with contestants from Paraguay and South Africa.
Congratulating Sandhu on her win, Dutta tweeted on Monday, "Congratulations @HarnaazSandhu03 !!!! Welcome to the club!!! We’ve waited 21 long years for this!!! You make us SO SO proud!!! A billion dreams come true!!!"
Sushmita Sen and Priyanka Chopra also lauded Sandhu for her win. Sen wrote, "Thank you for representing India so beautifully!! May you reign supreme." Priyanka Chopra posted Sandhu's winning picture on her social media handle and congratulated her for bringing the crown to India after more than two decades. Actor Neha Dhupia in an interview with a national daily said that she and her husband have been rooting for Sandhu since the beginning of the pageant.
She took to her social media handle on Monday much later after she was announced as the Miss Universe 2021 and expressed gratitude towards everyone who helped in her journey in separate posts. In a post, she wrote a lengthy message about how her win is dedicated to her motherland India and wrote, "India, this one is for you." As per reports, Sandhu will be moving to New York to carry out her work as a spokesperson of several causes including the Miss Universe pageant's. She will advocate for menstrual equality.
The model and former Miss Diva 2021, Sandhu was presented the crown by the Miss Universe 2020 Andrea Meza, who is from Mexico. The finale event that lasted nearly three hours was broadcast in 160 countries and territories across the globe. The competition includes several categories like a personal statement, swimsuit, evening gown and interview.
Suggested Reading: Harnaaz Sandhu Wins Miss Universe Pageant For India After 21 Years
In the final rounds, the top three contestants were asked, "What advice would you give to young women watching on how to deal with the pressures they face today?"
To this, Harnaaz Sandhu answered, "The biggest pressure the youth today is facing, is to believe in themselves, to know that you are unique makes you beautiful. Stop comparing yourselves with others and let's talk about more important things that are happening worldwide Come out, speak for yourself, because you are the leader of your life. You are the voice of your own. I believe in myself and that is why I am standing here today."
What you need to know about Harnaaz Sandhu
Explaining the meaning of her name in an interview, Sandhu said, "My name Harnaaz means 'god's pride'. I want to make India proud by bringing home the crown."
Talking about the various challenges during her Miss Universe journey, she said, "The challenges are definitely going to be there as no success path is easy. We have only 45 days to prepare and we are not leaving any stones unturned," adding, "It's definitely a roller coaster ride but I'm ready for it as vision, hard work and goals are what create a winner."
Suggested Reading: Who Is Harnaaz Sandhu? Miss Universe 2021
She has previously revealed that she was body-shamed too for being "very skinny", but that experience only made her stronger.
Harnaaz Sandhu Wiki Bio
The 21-year-old is currently pursuing a Master's degree in public administration. The Chandigarh-based actor and model was also crowned the LIVA Miss Diva Universe in 2021. She has also worked in Punjabi films like Yaara Diyan Poo Baran and Bai Ji Kuttange.
The Miss Universe 2021 is also very active on social media, Instagram. She has over 488,000 followers on Instagram, where her bio reads, "Shine like the whole Universe is yours."
Hours before she represented India at the global beauty pageant, Sandhu had shared a video on Instagram in which she could be seen offering prayers at Amritsar's Golden Temple. "Faith is unseen. It's felt. It's the feeling I have in my heart today," she captioned her post, adding that she has faith in God, her family and the blessings everyone has showered on her. "I have enjoyed my journey and as we near the end of this beautiful pageant, I want to re live memories with my family, my Punjab."
Sandhu expressed her gratitude to everyone for the experiences that she has had in the last 1.5 months.
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