Himalayan News Service

Mumbai:

Fashion designer Amrita Thapar was crowned Miss India Universe 2005 at a glittering function on March 27. The five-foot-eight-inches tall Thapar is a post-graduate in fashion designing and also has experience in modelling. She had won the Miss Pune crown a few years ago.

Vijayawada’s Sindhura Gadde was crowned Miss India World 2005. Gadde, a pharmacology student, has worked as a television presenter in New Zealand. She had also undertaken a few modelling assignments in Australia and New Zealand. Thapar and Gadde will represent India at the Miss Universe 2005 and Miss World 2005 pageants respectively later this year. Niharika Singh, who has been modelling for the last three years and has acted in a few music videos, was crowned Miss India Earth 2005. The annual beauty pageant, sponsored for the second consecutive year by consumer goods major Ponds, had received over 9,000 applications. The hunt for the three finalists was narrowed down to 23 contestants earlier this month. After a tough selection process, the pick of the lot had to showcase their talent, confidence and beauty in a host of rounds judged by experts.