Transgender beauty queen Namitha Marimuthu may not have won Miss International Queen 2022, but she did India proud by emerging as one of the Top 11 finalists.
Winner of the Miss Popular Vote at the beauty pageant, she impressed all with her outfit during the national costume round.
Inspired by the Sanskrit word 'Ardhanarishvara', which means 'the lord who is half-male, half-female', she was dressed to resemble the male-female figure of Shiva and Parvati.
Many will remember Namitha from her time in Bigg Boss's Tamil Season 5.
Hailing from Royapettah in Chennai, Namitha has also participated in Miss Koovagam, a beauty pageant for transgenders.
'For me, pride means being your true self, showing the world what you are and encouraging trans people and LGBT community to come out of fear and believe that they are not alone in the world. We are there for them,' she says.
Her message for parents of LGBTQ children is 'if there is such a child in your family, help them in completing their education.
'People try to pinpoint only the mistakes of transgenders. But it is now time for a change.'
Scroll down to take a look at glimpses from her Miss International Queen journey. Click on the pics for a better view.
IMAGE: Namitha walked the ramp in an evening gown during coronation night.
Photograph: Kind courtesy Miss International Queen/Instagram
IMAGE: She sizzled in an embellished ensemble during one of the preliminary rounds.
Photograph: Kind courtesy Namitha Marimuthu/Instagram
IMAGE: Her stunning national costume won a lot of praise.
Photograph: Kind courtesy Miss International Queen/Instagram
IMAGE: The outfit represented the synthesis of the masculine and feminine energies of the universe.
Photograph: Kind courtesy Miss International Queen/Instagram
IMAGE: Namitha with her mask.
Photograph: Soe Zeya Tun/Reuters
IMAGE: A shot of her backstage as she got ready for the national costume round.
Photograph: Soe Zeya Tun/Reuters
IMAGE: She turned heads in a swimsuit as a Top 11 finalist.
Photograph: Kind courtesy Miss International Queen/Instagram
IMAGE: The trans beauty queen was all smiles as she helped create tie-dye fabric and natural incense sticks at Baan Toop in Bang Krachao.
Photograph: Kind courtesy Miss International Queen/Instagram
IMAGE: Namita won the Miss Popular Vote.
Photograph: Kind courtesy Miss International Queen/Instagram
IMAGE: She stunned in pink during the swimsuit round.
Photograph: Kind courtesy Miss International Queen/Instagram
IMAGE: A fond farewell from family and friends at Chennai airport before she headed to Thailand for the beauty pageant.
Photograph: Kind courtesy Namitha Marimuthu/Instagram
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