Tucked away in the coziest corner of the Amazon lies a little country called Suriname. It is bordered by Brazil to the south, Guyana to the west and French-Guyana to the East. The northern border is a great body of water known as the Atlantic Ocean. Suriname, or ‘Sranan’ as the locals refer to it, will be the host of the Miss India Worldwide Pageant 2012. Forty-two beauties, from as many countries, of Indian decent will embark on a journey with the same mission – to win the highly-coveted Miss India Worldwide 2012 crown started by IFC, New York over 20 years ago which is held at different host country every year.
Suriname hosts MIWW 2012
For the first time in the Caribbean the twenty first Miss India Worldwide 2012 will be held in Paramaribo, Suriname on 25 Febuary 2012. To honour the pageant the president of the Republic of Suriname, His Excellency, DESIRE DELANO BOUTERSE, has declared Febuarary 25 a public holiday.
The local organization responsible for this, SurIndia Glamour, executed six local Miss India pageants and is ensuring a successful and spectacular Miss India Worldwide 2012. “We are extremely honored to have been selected as the host country for Miss India Suriname 2012,” says Namita Ajodhia, head of coordination for SurIndia Glamour. She adds, “This will be an amazing opportunity for us to present what our country has to offer to the world. This year the extra elements include an International Fashion Night, an International business centre where local and international businesses can connect, an Indian culinary festival and a Bollywood film festival. They’ve gone above and beyond what is expected from a local organization, and that is what people expect from a country as hospitable as Suriname.”
Fareisa Joemmanbaks of Suriname - Miss India Worldwide 2007
Two days after the most popular and key “talent round” on 23 February 2012, the main event will take place. It consists of another talent round for ten finalists, an Indian Wear Round and the question-and-answer part of the pageant. “This is the most important and difficult evening of them all,” Salamat explains. “The contestants will get the necessary training and support to ensure the quality of their performance in every round.”
Cher Marchand, Miss India Suriname 2009 and Miss India Worldwide 2010’s 2nd Runner Up and Miss Photogenic, stresses the importance of this guidance. “It’s really important because you’re in a strange country far away from home and have to work very hard,” she says. “You have to be at the top of your game and aim for the highest honor, but no matter what the outcome, all the ladies are winners.”
Cher Marchand, Durban 2010 - Photo by Raj Suri
According to Ajodhia, Suriname promises to stun audiences with the show’s extremely high quality, she assures us. In Suriname, the Miss India Pageant isn’t just for the Surinamese of Indian descent – many different ethnic and religious groups also enjoy the pageant. Ajodhia says, “It’s no surprise that this country loosely brands itself with the catchphrase: Suriname, crowned with genuine diversity.”
USA - Dharmatma Saran +917-373-1838
SURINAME - Anil Doebe +597-864-7667; Namita Ajodhia +597-863-5303
The crowing Ceremony - Miss India Worldwide 2011, Abu Dhabi, UAE
good luck to all the participants