Miss Tibet: The contest

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This is a patchwork of articles selected for the excellence of their content. You can help by plugging gaps in the information given below, especially about the years before and after these beauty queens won their crowns, because photographs and biographical details might not be available for that period. All contributions will be acknowledged. Readers can also send text and photographs about regional/ diaspora/ college beauty contests. (Example Miss Wokha, Miss Tokhu). Obviously, readers will not send any text or photograph that lowers the dignity of South Asia's beauty queens. Readers can send additional information, corrections, and photographs to the Facebook page, Indpaedia.com.

Sources

Miss Tibet

Organiser

Lobsang Wangyal

410 TIPA Road

McLeod Ganj, Dharamshala 176 219

India

info@misstibet.com

So far all the funds for the contest have been 'coming from the Director [Lobsang Wangyal]’s own pockets.' He has been described as 'a maverick impresario stages a most un-Tibetan spectacle: a western-style beauty pageant.' [1]

The Queens

Miss Tibet 2002 Dolma Tsering

Miss Tibet 2003 Tsering Kyi

Miss Tibet 2004 Tashi Yangchen

Miss Tibet 2005 Tenzin Nyima

Miss Tibet 2006 Tsering Chungtak

Miss Tibet 2007 Tenzin Dolma

Miss Tibet 2008 Sonam Choedon

Miss Tibet 2009 Tenzin Choezom

Miss Tibet 2010 Tenzin Norzom

Miss Tibet 2011 Tenzin Yangkyi

Miss Tibet 2012 None: Pageant was cancelled in homage to those who have died for the Tibetan cause.

Miss Tibet 2013 Tenzing Lhamo

Where held

Miss Tibet Pageant is often held in McLeod Ganj, India, which is where the 2014 contest will be held.

Miss Tibet Pageant 2013, was held from 11 to 13 February in Bylakuppe, South India.

The 2014 contest will be from 6 to 8 June.

Eligibility criteria

Inter alia, all contestants

Must be unmarried and must not have given birth to a child; and

Must have Central Tibetan Administration tax paid up to date. However, this criterion does not apply to a woman coming from Tibet to compete in the pageant.

Global ambassadors for Tibet

The winner of the Miss Tibet Pageant have in the past competed in some world beauty pageants, notably Miss Earth, as representatives of all of Tibet, not just Tibetan exiles in India and elsewhere.

Training

Past pageants provided one week of training before the competition, with courses in physical fitness, stage craft, cat walk, dance, and a make-up and hair styling workshop, along with an orientation on Tibetan history, culture, and current affairs. Due to lack of funding, training has been discontinued for 2014.

Historical trivia

IBNlive

Only 32 girls competed for the crown between 2002 and 2011. It was first started in 2002 by Wangyal, who drew criticism from some sections within Tibetan society, including the Tibetan prime minister Samdhong Rinpoche who said the pageant was "un-Tibetan" and "against Buddhist principles".

Twice in the pageant’s history unopposed contestants had to be declared winners.

The grand prize of 100,000 rupees to the winner is by far the largest prize money given away in any event held in Tibetan society.

See also

Miss Tibet (in exile): The contest Miss Tibet (in exile): 2002-2005 Miss Tibet (in exile): 2006-2009 Miss Tibet (in exile): 2010-2013