India will host Mrs India-World pageant in December 2004 followed by the Mrs World in February 2005 at Amby Valley, Sahara Lake City. The event will be organised by Percept D'Mark, an entertainment solutions company, and will be aired on Sahara Manoranjan.

The pageant will have as contestants married Indian women from the north, south, west and east zones. The winner will get an opportunity to represent India in the Mrs World pageant along with participants from 50 other countries.

Mrs World has its roots in the old "Mrs America" competitions, which were organised by David Marmel, president of Mrs America and Mrs World Inc.

"Mrs World celebrates beauty, grace and family values. An international destination is selected every year as the venue for the contest. Interviews with contestants are taped in historic and picturesque sites of the host country and are featured in a two-hour prime time network telecast in the US," said David Marmel.

The Mrs India-World will have four elimination rounds - introduction ramp walk and swimsuit, regional costume, evening gown and question rounds.

Model-actress Aditi Gowitrikar, who won the Mrs World crown in 2001, said, "It truly was a great experience to represent India at the Mrs World, let alone bring home the crown! I am sure more married Indian women will come forward to participate in the event on home turf this year."

Julie Love Templeton, the current Mrs America title-holder, was in India to promote the Mrs World pageant and will be back in Amby Valley to contest in the event in February 2005. "I am looking forward to it," she said. "This is a chance for women of the world to see India more closely and for the modern Indian women to meet their counterparts in the global village."