National
December 18, 2021
Harnaaz Kaur Sandhu (born 3 March 2000) is an Indian model and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Universe 2021. Sandhu had been previously crowned Miss Diva Universe 2021, and is the third entrant from India to win Miss Universe.
Sandhu was also crowned Femina Miss India Punjab in 2019, and placed as a semifinalist at Femina Miss India 2019.
Early life and education
Sandhu was born in the village of Kohali in Gurdaspur district, Punjab, close to the city of Batala, to parents Pritampal Singh Sandhu and Rabinder Kaur Sandhu. Her father is a realtor and her mother is a gynecologist. She also has an elder brother named Harnoor. Sandhu was raised in a Jat Sikh family.
In 2006, the family moved to England, before returning to India two years later and settling in Chandigarh, where Sandhu grew up. She attended Shivalik Public School and the Post Graduate Government College for Girls, both in Chandigarh. Prior to becoming Miss Universe, Sandhu was pursuing a master’s degree in public administration.
Pageantry
Sandhu began competing in pageantry as a teenager, winning titles such as Miss Chandigarh 2017 and Miss Max Emerging Star India 2018. At first, Sandhu did not tell her father when she registered for her first pageant, and only informed him of her participation after she won; despite this, he was accepting of her decision to pursue pageantry.
After winning the title of Femina Miss India Punjab 2019, Sandhu competed in Femina Miss India, where she ultimately placed in the Top 12.
Miss Diva 2021
On 16 August 2021, Sandhu was shortlisted as one of the Top 50 semifinalists of Miss Diva 2021. Later on 23 August, she was confirmed as one of the Top 20 finalists that would compete in the televised Miss Diva competition. During the preliminary competition held on 22 September, Sandhu won the Miss Beautiful Skin award and became a finalist for Miss Beach Body, Miss Beautiful Smile, Miss Photogenic, and Miss Talented.
In the Miss Diva 2021 contest’s opening statement round during the grand finale, Sandhu, as one of the top 10 semifinalist, stated:
“From a young girl with fragile mental health who faced bullying and body shaming to a woman who emerged like a phoenix, realising her true potential. From an individual who once doubted her own existence to a woman who is aspiring to inspire the youth. Today, I stand proudly in front of the Universe as a courageous, vivacious and a compassionate woman who is all set to lead a life with a purpose, and to leave behind a remarkable legacy.”
She was selected in the succeeding round of the competition. During the final question and answer round, the top 5 contestants were each given different topics to speak, which the contestants themselves picked through draw. Sandhu had selected “Global Warming and Climate Change”, to which she conveyed:
“One day, life will flash before your eyes, make sure it’s worth watching. However, this is not the life you want to watch, where the climate is changing and the environment is dying. It is one of the fiasco that us humans have done to the environment. I do believe that we still have time to undo our irresponsible behaviour. Earth is all we have in common and our small acts as individuals when multiplied by billions can transform the whole world. Start now, from tonight, switch off those extra lights when not in use. Thank you.”
At the end of the event, Sandhu was crowned as the winner by outgoing titleholder Adline Castelino.
Miss Universe 2021
As Miss Diva 2021, Sandhu received the right to represent India at Miss Universe 2021. The competition was held on 13 December 2021 in Eilat, Israel. Sandhu advanced from the initial pool of 80 contestants into the top sixteen, later advancing to the top ten, top five, and top three, before being crowned as the winner. Following her win, she became the third Indian woman to win the crown.
As Miss Universe, Sandhu will reside in New York City and participate in several events and appearances throughout the world.
In her capacity as Miss Universe, Sandhu has traveled to Israel and her home country of India.
