TEARS were shed at the Intercontinental Singapore on Aug 21 when Miss Anusha Rajaseharan was crowned Miss Singapore World.

No, they didn’t sprout from disconsolate rivals. They were from the eyes of Miss Rajaseharan’s 75-year-old grandmother Letchumi Murugan.

Sitting at the table booked for 21-year-old Miss Rajaseharan – it was filled by her family and friends – Madam Murugan was moved to tears by the excitement of having her granddaughter win the title. “Times have changed. I felt so happy when I knew my favourite granddaughter had won. No words can describe it,” she said later.

Miss Rajaseharan’s parents – Mr R. Rajaseharan, 55, and Madam Kalarani Veerappan, 50 – were equally proud and overjoyed. “It took a few minutes for us to realise that our daughter was announced as the winner,” said Madam Veerappan.

Even on Aug 22 morning, a day after the glorious triumph for the family, Madam Veerappan felt like it was all a dream.

But it wasn’t... her daughter had withstood the challenge from 21 other beauties to earn the right to represent Singapore in the Miss World beauty pageant in China in October. The only Indian in the fray, not only did she win the overall title, she was also named Miss Elegance.

One of the judges, Mr Samuel Seow, called Miss Rajaseharan “pretty” and added that she “speaks well and is naturally elegant”. He should know, having been a judge at more then 20 beauty pageants.

When Tamil Murasu met Miss Rajaseharan at the four room flat in Hougang, where she lives with her family, her simplicity and humbleness stood out. Speaking fluent Tamil, she revealed that she works as a marketing executive with an Israeli firm and is pursuing her biomedical science degree at MDIS. In her free time, she takes on modelling gigs.

She admitted that, being the only daughter in a conservative Indian family, her parents were concerned initially when she signed up for the contest. However, knowing that their daughter had survived the tough world of modelling, they supported her decision.

The 1.69m tall Miss Rajaseharan loves to analyse things quietly and listen to music in her room. Outdoors, she enjoys playing badminton. Among her favourite things are “bright sunflowers and a vibrant shade of purple”.

When asked to rank brain, beauty and wealth in terms of importance to her, she pondered awhile and evenually ranked it as “brain, wealth and beauty”. Her logic: With brains, one can accumulate wealth; and with wealth, one can be presentable and thus beautiful.

Miss Rajaseharan, who has five years of Indian classical dance training and a few months of classical music training under her belt, started modelling after taking part in Miss Singapore Indian Universal contest in 2008. Asked by one of her friends to accompany her to participate in the contest, she agreed and eventually finished in the top five, with the Miss Popularity award too.

Behind the beauty and poise resides, in Miss Rajaseharan’s words, “a simple next-door girl who is shy and reserved but never fails to have fun when she’s in the comfort zone with her family and friends”.

She’ll have to show her more flamboyant side again when she boards the flight for Beijing on Oct 1 as Miss Singapore World.