Shreenjit Kaur has good reason to be over the moon.
The 17-year-old just graduated from the Gandhi Memorial International School in North Jakarta, but it was no walk in the park.
While studying for her final exams, she was a contestant in the Miss India Indonesia pageant and had to juggle both duties without neglecting either.
Her efforts were rewarded, though: Besides graduating from high school, the soft-spoken Shreenjit was crowned Miss India Indonesia on March 26 at a colorful ceremony at the JW Marriott Hotel in South Jakarta.
She will represent Indonesia at Miss India Worldwide, which will take place in Kuala Lumpur on April 27.
Miss India Worldwide, an effort to bring together the Indian diaspora, has been organized by the New York-based India Festival Committee since 1990, and each participating country holds a national pageant prior to the international one.
Shreenjit was born in Jakarta to parents of Indian heritage and initially wanted to study international business management right after graduation. But after winning the pageant, she put her plans on hold for at least a year.
She was not a complete stranger to modeling and acting before joining the contest, but it was always more of a hobby than a professional aspiration.
When she saw a brochure for the upcoming Miss India Indonesia pageant, she decided to audition. “It was very interesting to me because it’s a different kind of pageant, as it combines two different countries,” Shreenjit said.
Shreenjit had to go through auditions and special training sessions that lasted almost two months, including walking classes, modeling and public speaking, as well as background lessons on social issues, before eventually competing in the final round.
“The training was the most interesting part for me,” she explained. “It was a different experience and I believe it changed me as a person for the better.
“When I joined the pageant, I felt like I was still a little girl. But when I came out of it, I felt that I was a proper young lady,” she added.
Another point of joining the pageant for Shreenjit was to meet new people and the other contestants, who numbered 28 in total.
Contrary to the snarkiness many people expect characterizes the relationships between participants, she said, there were friendships made despite the girls having to compete against one another.
“Everybody was really friendly, and we had a lot of fun together,” she said.
Shreenjit acknowledged, however, that as the big night approached, her nerves began to kick in.
“It was a mix of being nervous [and] anxious, but mostly I was excited,” she said. “Everything just felt new and different.”
During the night of the final, there were several tasks Shreenjit and the other contestants had to complete.
They had to walk in three different dresses — an evening gown, a short gown and an Indian outfit, all of which were courtesy of renowned Indonesian designer Hengki Kawilarang and India’s Anjali Mahtani.
The jury, which consisted of both Indians and Indonesians, picked its top 10 contestants, who then had to show off a unique skill in a talent round.
Shreenjit, a passionate musician, chose to perform one Indian and one Indonesian song on her harmonium (also known as a reed or pump organ).
She began to teach herself how to play the unusual instrument at the age of 8 after seeing it at a Sikh temple in Pasar Baru, Central Jakarta. It has been a source of both creativity and comfort to her ever since.
“There are those times when you study that you read something and it just won’t stay in your head, and you need to take five minutes off,” Shreenjit said.
“In those five minutes, I sit at my harmonium and play my favorite Hindi songs. Then I calm down and can go back to studying.”
After performing two songs on the harmonium, Shreenjit progressed to the top five round, where each contestant was asked a question.
Shreenjit had to explain how she would represent Indonesia in the Miss India Worldwide contest, assuming she wins.
“I said that I would try to promote our special culture,” Shreenjit said. “And being born in Indonesia, I’m fascinated by this unique culture that we have.”
In the last round, where only three contestants remained, she had to answer another question posed by the jury — which she answered eloquently by speaking about values, respect and gratitude toward her parents — and was then pronounced the new Miss India Indonesia.
“Of course, joining the pageant, everybody had the aim of winning it, but I think along the way, I began to feel that even if I don’t win this, I have still learned a lot,” Shreenjit remarked.
But in the end, she did win. It was, she said, “like a dream.”
“Taking that first walk on stage wearing the crown, I think up until now that was the best moment of my life,” she added.
Shanti Tolani, country manager of Miss India Indonesia and the 1997 winner of the pageant herself, said the jury was especially taken with Shreenjit because of her positive aura and humility.
“She is a very humble, soft and kind girl that is able to portray being Indonesian and being Indian equally, also on an international platform,” Shanti explained.
The latest event was the first time Miss India Indonesia was held for six years, because its original organizer had died and the event struggled to recover. Shanti said she was more than happy with the results and reception.
“I am very pleased with the reactions we had from the media, the audience and the contestants,” Shanti said.
Yet she does see room for further improvement. One major difference organizers have planned for next year is to place the contestants under the same roof during training.
She also hopes that girls willing to audition for Miss India Indonesia will come from all over Indonesia and not just two or three provinces.
Looking back at how the pageant has changed since she was crowned a winner herself, Shanti noted that she perceives many differences between now and then.
“I noticed that the girls today are much more exposed, mostly because of social media,” she explained.
“They are very open-minded about certain issues because they are more aware. And that definitely helps in facing the international crowd.”
Shreenjit said she was especially happy that she could count on the full support of her family — which turned out to be more difficult for other girls who wanted to join the contest.
“When Miss India Indonesia was announced, we had a lot of girls who wanted to be a part of it, but some of the parents were sceptical,” Shanti added.
“Maybe because it was the first year [after the hiatus], so they didn’t know what to expect. They wanted to be sure first that their daughters were going to be OK. Some girls’ parents actually said, let’s wait and see how it goes first.”
The next step for Shreenjit is to travel to Malaysia for the Miss India Worldwide competition at the end of the month, where she will compete against more than 40 other winners.
She said that she would do her best, but even if she does not win, there is still a list of responsibilities that comes with her new title.
“Miss India Indonesia is meant to empower women in Indonesia who are Indian, but it doesn’t stop there,” Shreenjit explained.
“My aim, personally, is to help women’s organizations. I want to show girls and women that no matter what age, what size or what color you are, you are special in your own way.”
Miss India Indonesia 2013
