21 year old student from Michigan State University, Richa Gangopadhyay is crowned Miss India USA 2007 in the 26th annual pageant held at Royal Alberts Palace in Fords, New Jersey. She displayed and performed a dual talent of a patriotic violin performance and a dance in the event that took place on December 28, 2007.
Richa Gangopadhyay was joined by other fellow contestants such as Neha Multani from New York, who was declared the First Runner-Up and Nisha P. who was placed as the Second Runner-Up. Richa will now be representing US at the 17th annual Miss India Worldwide pageant to be held on 23rd February, 2008 in Johannesburg, South Africa. The event is organized by India Festival Committee (IFC).
Richa Gangopadhyay is into her final year at the Michigan State University doing her major in Dietetics and Nutrition. She is extremely talented and is too fond of dance, music and movies. She enjoys giving health and nutrition lessons to children. She also won the Miss Photogenic title at the contest.
Richa Gangopadhyay was crowned by the outgoing queen, Ayushka Singh. All the 24 contestants at the pageant participated in the Indian dress and evening gown segment. The top 10 contestants had also been marked on the basis of their talents and skills. In the talent round the contestants presented a marvelous display of their talents in form of dances, kathak, bharatnatyam, violin as well as poetry recitation and singing.
Richa Gangopadhyay also took part in the event last year in which she was placed among the top five contestants. This year the financial services firm, was the title sponsor of the beauty pageant contest, nationwide. The contest organized by the New York based IFC is the longest running Indian pageant outside India.
IFC was founded by Dharmatma Saran in 1974 and runs the Miss India USA and Miss India World pageants from women of Indian origin from around the US and the World. It is affiliated in 20 countries of the Indian dispersion and hold their own beauty pageants and send representatives for Miss India Worldwide. If Richa Gangopadhyay wins this pageant, she will be crowned by the reigning Miss India Worldwide, Fareisa Joemmanbaks of Suriname.
Richa Gangopadhyay
