Jamshedpur Mom to sashay down Dubai ramp for Haut Monde Mrs India Worldwide contest

Jamshedpur, Oct 5: Sashi Sangeeta Bara, a government employee posted as LMO in Jamshedpur is about to give wings to many a dream of women who feel that their ‘show time’ is over and instead, turn their attention to family needs and rearing children. But dreams die hard and tend to linger among memories that could have been realities. But not so with Sashi Sangeeta Barla, the 52 year old mother who decided the fan the flame of dreams and convert them to reality at the Haut Monde Mrs India Worldwide – 2020 scheduled to commence at Dubai from October 19. Born and brought up in Ranchi, the 2 year old Sashi is the only contestant from Jharkhand to be shortlisted from 25,000 candidates and will be the oldest among the finalists who will set the Dubai ramp on fire. Sashi Sangeeta Bara will showcase the dance form that gives Jharkhand and the entire Chhota Nagpur belt a traditional identity, Chhau Nritya on this prestigious international platform.

Giving a snatch of the reaction of her family, Sashi gave a hearty laughter and revealed, “My son Akash is 23 years old and recently got a job in Vancouver. Amidst his busy schedule he expressed his glee when he heard about my participation in the Dubai pageant. Akash told me over the phone, ‘Mama, I am so excited. Such moments are rare and once in a lifetime when one gets to see his mom vying for top honours in a beauty contest on the international platform. Mama, I’m so proud of you.’” There was perhaps a hint of a tear of joy as she relived her son’s excitement on hearing about her participation in the Dubai show.

The contest is open to all Indian married women across the world in the age group of 23-55 years.

On being queried as to how she came under international glitter, Sashi Sangeeta Bara said, “I filled the application form with the help of my family and friends. I hadn’t ever thought about taking part in an international-level beauty pageant. I always wanted to serve and motivate people of underprivileged section of society and more importantly, women of our community and this contest seemed to me the biggest and most powerful platform to communicate with them on a larger and wider stage.”

She said that in the course of the pageant she had picked up a lot of things that were much more than mere nitty-gritty of a vast world. She had a philosophical look as she observed, “These will form a vital part of my learning experience,” and added, “Grooming sessions were held by leading salon brands and stylists. We also attended sessions on being active on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, which emerged as most effective tools during this COVID times. I have got an opportunity to express my views and opinions to a large audience.”

 Sashi, a resident of Jamshedpur had a word of pep for women her age who thought they were over the hill and called ‘finito’ to many a cherished dream. The effervescence of Sashi was contagious when she stated, “Women aged over 40 years believe that there is nothing else to do in life except tend to the family but believe me, age is just a number and willingness is the trigger to motivate and achieve the goals. Many women in their 40s and 50s think that life is complete with what they are doing at the professional end or inside the house. Now, I feel happy to see that many women of our underprivileged society now see me as an inspiration to follow their dreams,” she said as she signed off. .