India now has most number of Miss World wins

Only tied with Venezuela

After the stunning victory of Miss India Manushi Chhillar in Miss World 2017 pageant which was held on Saturday, India now has the most number of Miss World crowns - six in all - compared to the rest of the world. The South Asian country shares this spot with Venezuela whose last Miss World was Miss Venezuela 2011 Ivian Sarcos.

For India, Chhillar's victory marked the first Miss World title that the country has bagged after a 17-year drought. The last time India won the prestigious pageant was in 2000 when Priyanka Chopra was crowned Miss World 2000 in London. But apart from Chopra and Chhillar, here are the other beauty queens that contributed to the new record that India now holds.

Reita Faria - Miss World 1966

Born in Goa on August 23, 1943, Faria also holds the distinguished title of becoming the first Asian woman to win the event since its formation in July 1951.

Aishwarya Rai - Miss World 1994

Reuters

Rai came to represent India after getting second place in Miss India 1994. Sushmita Sen was crowned Miss India that year and went on to represent the country in Miss Universe. Rai was crowned Miss World. She is now a film and fashion icon alongside fellow actor and husband Abhishek Bachchan.

Diana Hayden - Miss World 1997

Reuters

Diana Hayden won the Femina Miss India crown in 1997 and went on to win Miss World in the same year. She also appeared in the TV show Bigg Boss back in 2008.

Yukta Mookhey - Miss World 1999

Reuters

Here's an interesting factoid - Mookhey was raised in Dubai until she was seven years old! She beat 93 delegates to secure the Miss World crown for India during the 49th Miss World coronation event held at Olympia, London.

Priyanka Chopra - Miss World 2000

India doubled down on the Miss World victories and once again took home the crown a year after Mookhey's win. Chopra is now a globally famous actress appearing in both Bollywood and Hollywood films. In 2016, she received the Padma Shri - the fourth highest award that a civilian can receive for her contribution to the arts.

Manushi Chhillar - Miss World 2017

AFP

After 17 years, India once again took the Miss World crown. You can read more about the new Miss World by following this link.

It's not only the Miss World that India is dominating. It has scored two victories in another prestigious pageant - Miss Universe, which goes to show how much the world admires Indian beauty.

Sushmita Sen - Miss Universe 1994

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In 1994, India took home not only the Miss World title, but also their first Miss Universe award!

Lara Dutta - Miss Universe 2000

Another double win happened in 2000 when Lara Dutta secured the Miss Universe crown for India in 2000. Chopra took home the Miss World crown the same year.

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