Last month Asmita Gurung from Dharan and Heena Shrestha from Jhapa were crowned Miss Purwanchal and Miss Purwanchal 2nd runner up respectively. WAVE sat down with the two Eastern beauties and talked about fashion, beauty pageants, summer and all things fun in a candid interview.
Why did you participate in Miss Purwanchal?
Asmita: Initially, it was purely self interest. Later on, I decided, participating in Miss Purwanchal would teach me how to represent myself better, and how to interact with people and boost my self-confidence.
Heena: I participated in Miss Purwanchal to challenge myself, to develop my personality and my self-confidence.
Last year, Malina Joshi from Dharan was crowned Miss Nepal. Is that one of the factors that made you take part in Miss Purwanchal?
A: My participation in Miss Purwanchal has nothing to do with the fact that Malina Joshi won Miss Nepal but that doesn't mean I don't respect her. She deserved the title and made Dharan proud.
H: Although it was due to the support I received from family and friends that made me take part in the competition, I would like to credit Malina Joshi for motivating me.
What do you think you had that made you stand out from rest of the girls?
A: I'm not in the right position to judge anyone, but I feel I was more confident, more hardworking hence more deserving than rest of the girls.
Did you ever think you would win the title?
A: I believed if I worked hard enough, I would win the title.
H: Never, did I think I would win, but there were times when I did dream of being crowned.
What have you learnt from Miss Purwanchal?
A: I've learned useful and important things that I can carry forward in my life. Thanks to our choreographer, Priya Rani Lama, I've learned to be confident enough to face the mass and think positively.
H: I learnt to believe in myself which automatically increased my self-confidence and developed a positive outlook towards life.
What's next? Asmita has firmly said she would not be entering Miss Nepal this year. What will we see you girls doing?
A: I'm okay with not participating in Miss Nepal this year as there's always a next time.
H: I will be taking part in Miss Nepal. The reason why Asmita is not particitipating this year is because she does not meet the age-limit requirement yet. In the mean time, we will continue our studies and be involved in social activities.
Let's talk about fashion. How different is fashion back home from Kathmandu?
A: To me, it doesn't matter where you are from. It's about believing and loving fashion.
H: In my home town, Jhapa there are only a handful of people who know and follow trends, but in Kathmandu, there are a whole lot of them.
What's the one thing you would never wear back home but would in Kathmandu and vice versa?
A: I'll never ever wear something that I'm uncomfortable in, both in Kathmandu and Dharan.
H: My sense of style does not change according to the locations.
What are you wearing for summer?
A: I will be seen wearing T-shirts and shorts as they're really comfy. I also love floral dresses and jumpsuits during summer.
H: I will be wearing jeans, shorts, skirts, cotton dresses and whatever is comfortable.
Who's your fashion icon?
A: There's no one who I consider a fashion icon.
H: I would have to say, Tenzing Tseten Bhutia and Malvika Subba.
What would you like to say to young girls from the east when it comes to participating in pageants and life, in general?
A: Be positive and confident. Be who you are. Be respectful and lastly, smile as it's the only thing which makes a person look beautiful.
H: Follow your dreams. Whatever you do, do it from within your heart. Be positive because it will always help you reach success. I also want to say, learn while you can, in every field of life because life is wonderful and never lose hope.
 RAJIV SHRESTHA |
Priya Rani Lama
was the first runner up of Miss Purwanchal 2010. Not content with resting on those laurels, this young and vibrant young lady is pursuing a degree in microbiology and has trained and groomed herself to actually become the choreographer for the current Miss Purwanchals. WAVE met up with her in Dharan and spoke to her about her opinion on controversy surrounding beauty pageants, her dreams and aspirations. This is what she had to say:
On beauty pageants
Every year before Miss Nepal, there are protests and demonstrations against the exploitation of women. But what I think is that the participants at such pageants are aware and educated young women who are walking into the situation with their eyes open. They know that participating in such an event will give them the necessary exposure to launch a career in the media, modeling, acting and such. But even those girls who do not get these opportunities leave more knowledgeable about so many different social causes and issues. Plus we are groomed to be more self-confident and poised, which is always a good thing.
On Miss Purwanchal
It seems like every ethnicity in Nepal hosts some sort of beauty pageant or the other these days. With Miss Purwanchal, there's no segregation on the basis of caste, creed, ethnicity or religion. It is open to all the girls in the east and it would have been very easy to just host a Miss Dharan, but we didn't want that. This isn't only about Dharan. It's about all of Purwanchal.
Future Dreams and Aspirations
I am fascinated by science and intend on pursuing a PhD in microbiology. I would also like to participate in Miss World. That is my dream. However at this point in time, it seems easier to get my PhD than to become Miss World. (laughs)
