There are young achievers and then there is Dr Tejaswini Monogna. This doctor by qualification, with her recent win at Miss Earth India (The winner will represent India in the Miss Earth pageant, an annual international beauty pageant promoting environmental awareness) just added yet another feather to her cap of. “It is a homecoming,” she exclaims during her visit to the city before flying to Delhi for training and then to The Philippines to participate in Miss Earth finals.
Her interests and accomplishments in dance, music, yoga, and beauty pageantry are part of her efforts to explore different avenues and worlds. “I was born on May 19, 1994, the day Sushmita Sen was crowned Miss Universe and I would always hear my relatives say ‘Miss Universe is born,’” she says adding the the line stayed with her. After graduating in medicine, she took some time out to prepare for beauty contests and participated in Miss Universe (India) in 2017. She applied for Miss Earth, a beauty pageant where contestants have to promote environmental causes. Having been part of various campaigns, Tejaswini could easily relate to the cause. “My objectives in life and those of Miss Earth felt similar and this was a perfect platform that takes me to a wider audience,” she shares.
ADVERTISEMENT
After auditions across cities and online applications, around 30 contestants were selected from 26,000 applications and the finals happened in Delhi on August 31. The final segment included a questionnaire round with a panel of judges posing questions. Her question was on the ‘Me Too movement.’ “They asked, ‘What was the impact of Me Too movement on my family and did they allow me to come to the pageant. I told them there is no problem with my family as they had always placed their trust in me and knew I am on the righteous path and also know that I have the courage to stand for myself if I had to face such situations. And they always let me follow my instincts and they know that when they let me follow my instincts, I am happy and they are happy.”
The one-month contest, and a finale to be held on October 25 in The Philippines, will see a participation of 117 countries. “It is not an easy task to represent India; I have to be on my toes. Everything I do, from my pen to bag has to be eco-friendly. I will face questions based on environment-related issues,” she shares.
While challenging, exploring and expressing herself in different ways, she asserts she never tries new things only for fun. “Whatever field I choose, I study in-depth and put in my efforts. Medicine is my profession and this is my passion; Once I cross 25, I will never get this chance and I don’t want to lose out on the opportunity.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Consistency and time-management has been a hallmark of her success. In all these years, her daily routine has been the same — waking up by 5.30 am and doing yoga and meditation. “This routine calms my mind to handle things,” she says. After studying for a few hours, she pursues her different interests and ends her day by studying again for a couple of hours.
Tejaswini will be writing her post-graduation exams in medicine and hopes to be a civil servant. Till then, she keeps her fingers crossed to make her beauty queen dreams come true.