In Image: Simran Kaur Mundi winner of Femina Miss India Universe 2008 (Right) with Miss India (World) Parvathy (Centre) and Miss India (Earth) Harishta Saxena (Left).

Simran Kaur Mundi was crowned Femina Miss India Universe 2008 at a glittering contest held in Mumbai on Saturday.

Parvathy Omankuttan was named Miss India World 2008 while Harshita Saxena was chosen Miss India Earth 2008 among 29 beautiful contestants battling it out for the three most prestigious titles, Miss India universe, Miss India World and Miss India Earth.

The final question asked to the finalists was:-
“The rate of divorce in India is on a rise. What is the cause? Is western influence the cause or something else?”

The answers of the winners……..

Harshita (Miss India Earth) :
“Marriages are what we make of it. Divorces are prominent because we don’t have the abilities to sustain them. We have to be stronger and determined as human beings.


Parvathy (Miss India World) :
Divorces are not a result of western influence. At the end of the day, it is we who decide whose worth us. Marriage is not when one completes the other but is when both share their completeness.


Simran (Miss India Universe) :
The mindset is changing but divorces cannot be attributed to western influences. In fact we need to come up with a system to tackle this dilemma.


Some of the previous winners and finalists of the Femina Miss India contests include the following well known Indian film actresses are:

1. Nutan - 1952 Miss India.
2. Zeenat Aman - 1970 Miss India second runner-up and 1970 Miss Asia Pacific.
3. Nafisa Ali - 1976 Miss India and 1997 Miss International runner-up.
4. Sangeeta Bijlani - 1980 Miss India.
5. Juhi Chawla - 1984 Miss India.
6. Mehr Jesia - 1986 Miss India Universe.
7. Pooja Batra - 1993 Miss India.
8. Namrata Shirodkar - 1993 Miss India Universe and 1993 Miss Asia Pacific first runner-up.
9. Aishwarya Rai - 1994 Miss India World and 1994 Miss World.
10. Sushmita Sen - 1994 Miss India Universe and 1994 Miss Universe.
11. Diana Hayden - 1997 Miss India World and 1997 Miss World.
12. Yukta Mookhey - 1999 Miss India World and 1999 Miss World.
13. Dia Mirza - 2000 Miss India second runner-up and 2000 Miss Asia Pacific.
14. Priyanka Chopra - 2000 Miss India World and 2000 Miss World.
15. Lara Dutta - 2000 Miss India Universe and 2000 Miss Universe.
16. Neha Dhupia - 2002 Miss India Universe.
17. Tanushree Dutta - 2004 Miss India Universe.