Poland’s Karoline Bielawska has been crowned Miss World 2021 in the pageant held in Puerto Rico where India’s Manasa Varanasi was included in the top 13 contestants’ list at the eleventh position. Karolina Bielawska was crowned the winner by the outgoing queen Miss World 2019 Toni-Ann Singh.
Indian-American Shree Saini from the United States bagged the first runner-up title in the beauty contest that took place at the Coca-Cola Music Hall in San Juan. She was followed by Olivia Yace from Cote d’Ivoire as the second runner-up.
Manasa Varanasi’s making it in the top 13 comes nearly three months after India’s Harnaaz Sandhu was crowned Miss Universe 2021, 21 years after India last held the title.
Born in Hyderabad, Manasa Varanasi shifted to Malaysia at a young age due to her father’s work and was schooled at Global Indian International School and completed her grade 10 there. She later returned to India to study computer science at the Vasavi College of Engineering in Hyderabad.
She won the Femina Miss India pageant in 2020, representing the state of Telangana. In addition, she was also crowned as Femina Miss India World 2020.
This year’s contest was the 70th edition of the beauty pageant and was conducted during a span of 40 days in December. Over 90 contestants from across the globe participated in the pageant but the finale was postponed owing to the outbreak of Covid among staff and even the finalists. Manasi Varanasi was one of the contestants who tested positive for Covid.
Miss World 1986 Giselle Laronde, CEO of the Miss World Organization Julia Morley, and British novelist, columnist, and author Patrick Robinson were among the jury members for this year’s Miss World.