The world got its 69th Miss Universe in Mexico's Andrea Meza on Monday. The event held in Florida saw India's Adline Castelino coming in at the fourth spot. The 22-year-old, who traces her roots to Udupi in Karnataka, won Miss Diva 2020 making her India's representative at Miss Universe, this year. Congratulating Adline on her successful journey, the official Twitter account of Miss Diva said, "3rd Runner-Up for India at Miss Universe...Congratulations Adline Castelino. You have made us immensely proud! Your resilience, determination and grace shined throughout the competition and the hard work you've put in your journey reflected in you this night! We are proud of you."
During the pageant, Adline received praise for her well-rounded response in the question-answer round. She was asked: "Should countries lockdown due to COVID-19 despite the strain on their economies, or should they open their borders and risk a potential increase in infection rates?"
To this, the model responded, "Good evening universe. Well, coming from India and witnessing what India is experiencing right now, I have realized something very important that nothing is more important than the health of your loved ones. And you have to draw a balance between economy and health. And that can only be done when the government works with the people hand in hand and produces something that will work with the economy. Thank you."
Adline has been keeping her fans and well-wishers abreast of all the developments on the pageant through her social media account.
A day before the finale, she penned a heartfelt note on Instagram, thanking the people of the country for their support. She wrote, “I could pen down this feeling without getting overwhelmed about how I felt as I stood there witnessing people around the world cheering, flags waving high and even if I missed seeing ???????? I felt like I was home. I thought of you India and what we are going through. The love that people give you when they are hurting themselves is the purest form of love one can experience. I'm grateful to you that at a young age I have experienced that and if I could only show you what I saw that day! I saw hope, a hope that will be ours soon.”
Among her many standout moments, Adline won hearts in a saree that she wore for the National Costume round. Inspired by the national flower, lotus, the ensemble was designed by Hyderabad-based designer, Shravan Kumar.
Explaining the significance of the outfit, she wrote, “My national costume embodies the true essence of a woman. The saree is a traditional attire that binds the whole country together. Yardage of priceless legacy, the saree is known to have 80 different styles of draping. It does not judge class or caste, is worn by most Indian women even today. The border and pallu of the saree is encrusted with an embroidery depicting the 300-year-old Pichwai art form, adding grace. The beautiful colour of the saree is inspired by the national flower of India, the lotus, which symbolises knowledge and spirituality.”
In her capacity as an influencer and public figure, the model has actively backed causes such as creating awareness about polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) as well as working to end the stigma around COVID-19.
Meanwhile, with her win, Andrea has become the third Mexican to win the Miss Universe title. Miss Brazil Julia Gama and Miss Peru Janick Maceta del Castillo won the second and third spots, respectively.
