Parvathy, 21, is the country's first-ever Miss India of Malayali descent and many believed that her excellent performance at the pageant would secure first place.
She lost out in the final round, however, by just a whisker to Russian contestant Ksenia Sukhinova.
Despite her disappointment at having missed the title, the young beauty queen put on a big smile and waved to the crowd that had gathered at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in the wee hours to welcome her home.
Also see:
Parvathy Omanakuttan: A star nonetheless
Photograph:Arun Patil