VIJAYAWADA: Giving a cultural tint to the beauty pageant contests, ‘Srimati Amaravati’ has been promoting the traditional angle of Andhra Pradesh to the world from the past seven years. A couple from Ibrahimpatnam in Vijayawada has come up with this innovative idea and has been stealing the hearts of the denizens.
The brainchild of 31-year-old Tatineni Tejaswi, initially, many women were reluctant to participate in this contest, later the event drew the attention of the public with the continuous efforts from the couple to propagate the beauty of Andhra women to the world. Like any other pageant contest, ‘Srimati Amaravati’, being organised by Tejas’ Elite, is filled with exciting and fun-filled rounds, with the only rule that women are to participate with a saree.
Speaking to TNIE, Tejaswi, the organiser of the event said, “There is immense potential in women who are confined to kitchens. Our main aim is to bring out the hidden talents of these women by instilling self-confidence among them to help them overcome self-doubt.”
Winner of ‘Srimati Amaravati Season-7 (2022)’ Poorna Pravallika Nadipalli said, “Being an introvert, I never attended any shows or participated in any contests and this contest has brought out the inner self of mine, which remained dormant for several years. With my family’s support, I emerged as a winner, proving that every woman has innate talent which has to be encouraged.”
It is worth noting that women who participated in ‘Srimati Amaravati’ have bagged other prestigious beauty contests across India. Mallika Chowdary Billupati, a resident of Vijayawada and winner of Srimati Amaravati-2019, has emerged as second runner-up of Mrs India Telangana 2020, winner of Mrs India 2021 and Mrs Planet Talent 2022 (Bulgaria).
This unique event follows expert guidelines and the auditions feature two rounds. The finals encompass a ramp walk in traditional attire and a message round, where contestants convey messages on placards. The winners are chosen based on the answers to jury questions.
Tatineni Pradeep Chowdary, co-founder and husband of Tejaswi said, “Our journey began in 2016 and conducted the competitions out of our savings. Later, several sponsors have supported us and from the past couple of years SLV Group Chairman Penmetsa Srinivasa Rajuand and other sponsors have come forward to support us. We ensure that the contests are held transparently and the crown winner is presented with a Rs 50,000 cash prize. Every year there are 60 to 100 registrations and of them 30 people will be selected for the final round. We are planning to organise the 8th session soon.”