The grand finale of the 4th Indian Princess Beauty Pageant was recent held in Mumbai.

Karisma Kapoor was among the judges at the grand finale of the 4th Indian Princess Beauty Pageant. Sharon Fernandis was crowned as the Indian Princess and Jannatul Paya was selected as the Indian Princess International.

The evening saw a number of performances and beauties across the globe fighting for the top slot.

Karisma Kapoor's dress for the evening was a combination of contemporary and classical styles.

The contestants poured their hearts out to win the crown. Their gruelling training sessions for the event were hidden behind their smiling faces.

Prachi Desai's performance was one of the chief attractions of the evening. Raageshwari kept the audience entertained.

Such beauty pageants are a recognition of empowered women who have the potential inspiring other women.

Such events became hugely popular in India after Aishwarya and Sushmita Sen's win at Miss World and Miss Universe competitions in 1994.

Some immensely talented artists get a chance to showcase their skills via these events. Though physical beauty remains the chief requirement for the participants in beauty pageants, judges try hard to churn out the mental capacities of the contestants as well.

The event was strategically planned to take place on the eve of International Women's Day, so that it could be seen as a programme to promote a cause. 14 Indian and 15 foreign models took part in the competition.Updated March 16, 2013