I represent the best of India: 16-yr-old Lavanya Das reminds us there is more to pageants than skin-deep beauty

When we say the word 'pageant', what comes to mind?  Beauty? Grace? Maybe even poise and character? But what we tend to forget is that these models are eventually representing their countries on a world stage. And this is the point that Lavanya Das reminds us of. This 16-year-old is currently the Miss Tourism Ambassador Universe Teen and Miss Teen Diva India International 2019, but what this teenager is most proud of is winning laurels for the nation. "You are the only representative of the nation on that platform, so you have to be your best and showcase the best of everything that your country offers. I know I have a responsibility towards the nation in a way and I am confident and determined to see it through," she says.

The support she gets from her parents and grandparents is most vital to her. Also, her mother is a painter and it was she who taught Lavanya how to paint

Over time, one pageant lead to another and soon, Lavanya was modelling more and more. Last year, she went to Thailand and Malaysia and that's when she won her titles. Aren't there numerous rounds in pageant, we wonder out loud. Yes, there are and she takes them very seriously, so much so that she won a 22 kg costumer (what does this mean? did you mean 'she wore a 22kg costume'?), resplendent with national symbols and all, and even won the Best Costume Award at several places. She has truly taken to the world of modelling. But there are other ways to serve the country and this teenage wants to become an IAS officer. "Currently, I am in class X, so there is a lot of pressure. Incidentally, all my events (events or exams? If it's events, then what events?) have clashed with my pageant dates. Thankfully, my school, principal and teachers have been endlessly supportive of what I want to do, needless to say my parents are my greatest pillars of support," she says. She was also the Miss Teen Junior Model International 2019 which was held in Dubai. 

Lavanya during the costume round | (Pic: Lavanya Das)

So modelling is not the be all and end all for Lavanya. This youngster loves anchoring and has done quite a few shows too. She is an international-level painter, having participated in the Picasso Art Contest, and a national-level essay writer as well. A drawback of being in the limelight, she feels, is naturally the constant criticism that one tends to draw. "Out of 100 people, at least 99 would only wish the best for me, so I don't bother about the one per cent," she explains with determination and adds, "There will always be people who will stereotype us, but what we must remember is that every girl has the right to a crown," adds the student of DAV Public School, Bhubaneswar, with confidence.  

For more on her, check out facebook.com/lavanya.das.3701