India‘s Harnaaz Sandhu was crowned the 70th Miss Universe after a pageant filled with beads, sequins and swimsuits that was also touched by the pandemic and politics.
Sandhu, an actress who is studying for a master’s degree in public administration, received the bejeweled crown from last year’s winner, Andrea Meza of Mexico, as she wiped away tears on stage.
Sandhu said she was feeling “overwhelmed because it’s been 21 years since India got the Miss Universe crown and it’s happening right now.”
The pageant was held in the middle of the night in Eilat, so it could accommodate the primetime schedule in the U.S., where it aired on late Sunday.
In addition to the usual beauty pageant displays, contestants representing 80 countries also answered questions about vaccine mandates and whether a person’s social media history should be held against them years later.
Harnaaz, who will move to New York City in the new year, will use her time as Miss Universe to advocate for menstrual equity, according to the pageant organization.
