Guyanese wins New York pageant
By Vishnu Bisram
Stabroek News
July 28, 2002
Amrita Persaud, was crowned Miss India New York 2002 in a glittering pageant held last Saturday evening. This is the fourth time a Guyanese has won the title in the pageant’s 21-year history.
Amrita, 22, a senior at New York University majoring in Anthropology, plans to become a dentist. Her hobbies include classical Indian dancing, worldwide travelling and humanitarian and community services.
Seventeen contestants from the New York area were selected after an audition to participate in the twenty-first annual Miss India New York Pageant. The pageant comprised a traditional Indian dress segment followed by an evening gown segment and a talent segment. Only the top ten contestants participated in the talent segment, which was followed by a question/ answer session with the top five finalists. Persaud walked away with the coveted crown and will now represent New York state in the Miss India USA Pageant to be held in Los Angeles on August 31.
In an interview, Persaud said she was thrilled at having won and planned to utilise the title to represent the Caribbean community in New York. She praise all of the contestants for their courage.
The daughter of Jagjeet and Chandrowti Devi Persaud, who hail from Port Mourant, she was two years old when her family moved to Richmond Hill.
It was in Richmond Hill that she became involved in community and cultural events and also began her training in Indian Classical dance. When Persaud was ten years old, she started to learn Kathak, under the instruction of Guyanese-born India-trained Malini Bose at the Lakshmi Mandir of Richmond Hills. In 1995, at the age of 15, she also started learning Bharat Natyam from the Padmalaya Dance Academy under the instruction of Raja Rajeshwari Ramanathan. She has performed extensively at many cultural events and she has also experienced the honor of performing for many important community and country leaders including the late Dr Cheddi Jagan, former president Janet Jagan, Prime Minister Sam Hinds and President Bharrat Jagdeo.
In August, Persaud will have her Bharat Natyam Arangetram (Bharat Natyam Dance Graduation). She then plans to pursue advance training in Bharat Natyam as well as start her training in Kuchipudi.
Persaud, who has had an impressive educational since elementary school, is currently attending the College of Arts and Science of New York University on an academic scholarship. Recently, she joined the .5% of the nation’s college students, having her biography published in the 25th Annual Edition of the National Dean’s List, 2001-2002.
Persaud is also an active member in the Guyana Youth Corps and in 1999, along with a few other members of GYC, was selected as a cultural instructor for a youth Camp in Kingston, Jamaica. She has visited Guyana several times.