'Mrs India' contest to show marriage is not end of life: Nayonika

Mumbai, Mar 24 (UNI) The 'Mrs India World' contest, which will be held here tomorrow, aims at showing the world that marriage is not the end of life for a woman as is commonly perceived, model and grooming expert Nayonika Chatterjee said.

''Indian women are excellent at multi-tasking because of their joint families. Compared to the young models, these contestents are more wholesome and bring in a lot of maturity as they have seen more of life's situations. They are not just somebody's daughter, wife or mother, they have an identity of their own,'' she told UNI here.

Dr Aditi Gowitrikar, who won the 'Mrs World' crown in 2001 and is a brand ambassador for 'Mrs India World' said, ''For the contest, we are looking for a blend of beauty and brains, who has the kind of profile that serves as the role model for 'generation next'. We are looking at bringing the crown back to India.'' The eight-day grooming regime for the 'Mrs India World' contestants, currently underway, started on March 18. The 20 semi-finalists have been selected on the basis of auditions held in Kolkata, Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai and Chandigarh.

The winner of the contest will represent India at the international pageant 'Mrs World 2006' to be held on April 23 at St Petersburg, Russia, Aditi said.

UNI LS KU/GK SHB PC1741