Sharing is success

By Arjita & Priyanka                                                                  

Jyoti Dogra during one of the rounds in the
Miss Himalaya 2014

TAB:“That day I came back confident, being the only one who spoke for the 10 minutes that we had to,” she reminisces first day of the Miss Himalaya 2014 contest. Contestants had an hour to prepare a 10 minute speech. Speaking on ‘negative impact of tourism in Himachal’, she opined that increasing commercialization, drug abuse were some of the problems, while solutions lay in ecotourism – where environment protection and making a profit went hand in hand. In the ‘talent’ round that followed, she sang ‘Climb’ by Miley Cyrus.

On the second and final day of the pageant, models hit the ramp and introduced themselves. “With courage and determination, one can do absolutely anything," she said. It looked like a festive carnival – colorful dresses, heavy ornaments – Tibetan and Himachali culture filled the stage when participants adorned their ‘traditional wear’ in the second round. “What does success mean to you?” she was asked in the 5th and final ‘Q&A’ round. “It is not the amount of money or bank balance, but the satisfaction one gets by sharing, and giving back to the society. So when I die, I’ll tell myself, this was a big success,”  she said.

                Jyoti Dogra is Miss Himalaya 2014. Back in her university, she is a student, struggling to complete her projects in time. And making time for the socio-cultural activities, she recently won the pan-India debate on ‘Role of Earth Sciences in Preventing Environmental Degradation’ organized by the Indian Geological Congress.

                “I stumbled upon it online, and applied,” she tells how accidental the pageant was. 5 finalists from across Himachal were selected and called to Mc Leod Ganj, the contest venue, 15 minutes away her home in Bhagsu Nag. They were groomed for 3 days – learning the ramp-walk routine, photo-shoot in Naddi, visits to Norbulingka Institute and the Tibetan Library, and a press conference.

                A little short of the height criteria, she will have to miss Miss India. Bollywood has knocked on her door twice but Jyoti wants to study, probably pursue PhD. In the final semester of her Masters in Environmental Sciences from CUHP, “I believe more in doing, less in planning,” she says about the future, “Wherever the wind blows.”