How Kerala’s Kaziah Liz Mejo won Miss Universe India 2026 (Source: Instagram/@missuniverseindiaorg)Kaziah Liz Mejo of Kerala was crowned Miss Universe India 2026 in Jaipur this week, leaving behind Vaishnavi Gannesh from Tamil Nadu and Anushri Satavlekar from Gujarat as the first and second runners-up, respectively. During one of the crucial rounds that determine the crown, Mejo answered the final question with grace and poise and a quiet confidence that paved the way to her victory.The final questionA jury member asked: “Can you describe the sound of silence in your life?”Mejo replied: “Namaskaram India, and hello to the Universe. To me, silence, I believe, is what I experienced just a few minutes ago. The calm before I enter a stage. I was born and brought up on stage, as a classical dancer, as an actor and of course, as a pageant lover. I fell in love with the world of pageants, with the stage, with the spotlight. Having a microphone in my hand.”ALSO READ | Urvashi Rautela sparks legal debate in Tiranga-inspired gown: ‘Took 3 months to create’“It seems difficult to believe, but I feel silence, and I feel calm, and I feel at my most peaceful self right before I enter a stage. Because I feel at home. To me, that is silence, when you feel at home. When your heart lets you take a deeper breath, when your pulse calms down, and you know that you belong. And that’s exactly where I’m standing today. India, thank you so much,” she concluded. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Pageantomania | Beauty Pageant (@pageantomania)Mejo, a 19-year-old law student and model from Mavelikkara, previously represented India at Miss Teen International 2025, where she finished as first runner-up. She is not just a professionally trained classical dancer of 12 years, but also sings and can play the drums and the violin. On Sunday, she became the first Keralite to win the Miss Universe India title. She will now represent India at the 75th Miss Universe pageant, scheduled for November in Puerto Rico.Sushmita Sen recalls her final questionsThe 2026 finale of Miss Universe India featured a distinguished jury panel, led by former Miss Universe Sushmita Sen. During the event, the Main Hoon Na actor recalled the questions she was asked during her year: ‘What does India represent? and ‘What is the essence of being a woman?’ . To the first, she had replied: “Love is the essence of life in India, because we have diversity, but we also have this sense of unity. This sense of one mother, and that mother is our motherland, India.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by PAGEANTWORLDINDIA_OFFICIAL (@pageantworldindia)As for the second question, Sen elaborated: “I didn’t know much English at that time, so I didn’t know the meaning of the word essence back then. But now, after living for so many years, I have realised that I couldn’t have given a better answer. At 18, I knew the essence of a woman.”