Miss World Karolina Bielawska to visit Kashmir on day-long tour

NEW DELHI/SRINAGAR, Aug 27: In a first for an international beauty pageant winner, reigning Miss
World Karolina Bielawska will visit Kashmir on Monday on a day-long tour for an event.
According to Rouble Nagi, chairperson of a Mumbai-based organisation engaged in women
empowerment, Bielawska will arrive here along with other pageant winners, including Miss World
India Sini Shetty and Miss World Caribbean Emmy Pena.
“Gar firdaus bar-rue zamin ast, hami asto, hamin asto, hamin asto (If there is a heaven on earth, it’s
here, it’s here, it’s here). And how is it possible that Miss World would miss heaven?” Nagi told PTI.
The entrepreneur, who heads Rouble Nagi Art Foundation and Studio Saksham, said her foundation
has championed artistic expression, community development, and cultural exchange.
“This is yet another manifestation of the foundation’s commitment to creating memorable
experiences that transcend boundaries,” she added.
Bielawska’s visit to Jammu and Kashmir comes ahead of the 71st edition of the Miss World 2023
pageant, to be held in India later this year. India, which has won the prestigious title six times, is
hosting the pageant after nearly three decades. The last time the country hosted the event was back
in 1996.
Secretary Tourism in Jammu and Kashmir administration Syed Abid Rasheed Shah told PTI this pre-
event tour of the Miss World pageant is taking place in the region months after the G20 Tourism
Working Group meeting held here.
“It’s an indication of the transformative nature of the G20 event in the tourism sector of Jammu and
Kashmir. Major events of national and international importance are now being planned and
organised,” Shah said.
As per trends this year, Shah said the authorities are expecting a “record-breaking” number of
tourists, both domestic and international.
“The number of inbound tourists (foreigners) is a record high in the last 33 years. From the Miss
World pre-event tour, we expect the guests to be the ambassadors of Jammu and Kashmir’s beauty
and hospitality throughout the world,” he said.
Shah said the pre-event visit of Bielawska to Jammu and Kashmir along with the Chairman and Chief
Executive Officer of Miss World, Julia Eric Morley, promises to be a blend of elegance, artistry and
cultural exchange.
During the day-long tour, Miss World and other the dignitaries, including Miss World America Shree
Saini, Miss World England Jessica Gagen, and Miss Asia Pricilia Carla Saputri Yules, would take a boat
ride at the iconic Dal Lake besides meeting the press and later calling on Lieutenant Governor Manoj
Sinha.
This event will not only showcase the region’s picturesque landscapes, but also provide a platform
for local artists and artisans to interact with the guests, added Nagi, who hails from Jammu.
Jammu and Kashmir recorded 1.88 crore tourist arrivals last year, the highest number in the past
three decades. The arrivals in the aftermath of the successful third G20 tourism working group
meeting from May 22 to 24 in Srinagar is expected to break all previous records this year.
On August 1, Sinha said 1.27 crore tourists visited the Union territory till July and “we hope to see
record-breaking tourist arrivals by the year end”.
With the support of the Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Department, this initiative aims to shine a
spotlight on the breathtaking beauty of Srinagar, the cultural diversity of the region, and the warmth
of its people, Nagi said.
“You can immerse yourself in the rich traditions of the Kashmiri Pandits, Dogras, and Gujjars, each
with their unique customs and vibrant festivals,” she added. (PTI)