Harnaaz Sandhu of India has been crowned Miss Universe for the first time in 21 years, replacing Lara Dutta, who was crowned Miss Universe in 2000. On Sunday, India’s Harnaaz Sandhu was crowned Miss Universe, beating out a field of 80 contestants in a pageant marred by politics and the AIDS pandemic.
In the Israeli Red Sea resort town of Eilat, Andrea Meza, the previous Miss Universe, named her successor. To meet the primetime schedule in the United States, the pageant was held in the middle of the night, ending at 5 a.m. local time (10 p.m. EST).
The 21-year-old Punjabi woman, who was representing India at the 70th Miss Universe pageant in Eilat, Israel. She beat off Paraguay and South Africa to win the competition.
Andrea Meza, former Miss Universe 2020 from Mexico, presented Sandhu with the crown at the event, which was live-streamed around the world.
Paraguay and South Africa were the first and second runners-up, respectively.
“What advice would you give to young ladies watching on how to deal with the pressures they face today?” the contestants were asked during the top three-round.
Harnaaz eloquently said, “The greatest demand on today’s youngsters is to believe in themselves. Knowing that you are one of a kind makes you lovely. Stop comparing yourself to others and instead focus on more pressing issues that are affecting the planet. Come out and speak out for yourself, because you are the one in charge of your own life. You are your own voice. I had faith in myself, which is why I am here now.”
