Beauty from within

Nipuni WIMALAPALA

In today’s age, the definition of beauty is hard to pin down because conventions have changed and the rule to what’s 'acceptable' as beautiful has evolved with it. In taking these thoughts forward, it is refreshing to chat up with a beauty who is about to embark on a journey of a pageant.

Tharaka Wijesinghe is overwhelmed with her achievement today. She is eagerly waiting to represent Sri Lanka and compete with 150 countries at the Miss Tourism Queen International 2012 which will be held in China on September 28.

She celebrated her most memorable day in life by being crowned as Biona Miss Tourism Queen Sri Lanka 2012 on June 8 at Galadari Hotel, Colombo. Being just 20 year old she is very enthusiastic to represent her motherland in a world pageant.

Tharaka came into the limelight as a TV presenter. Armed with an abundance of socializing skills, the young lady notes that she never dreamt of becoming a model. But her destiny had other plans in store for her and directed her to towards the fashion and beauty arena.

Her first triumph was winning the mini title, Miss Personality. This reflects her outgoing personality and cheery nature. She notes that her forte is her ability to highlight the cultural and traditional values of the country at the beauty pageant.

She has chosen her costume to emphasise this fact and prefers to don the national costume at important occasions rather than western attire.

“It represents the Sri Lankan identity. I performed a dance to the Guththila Kavya for the competition and it won a lot of applause. It brought literary value to the event,” notes the doe-eyed beauty.

She has been looking forward to starting her LLB degree just after completing her A/L examinations. An old girl of St Joseph's College, Nugegoda, Tharaka is also interested in following further studies in Human Resource Management.

She is a skilled badminton player, painter and actress who believes that extracurricular activities add spice to life. She also enjoys penning her thoughts.

“I have a vivid imagination which flow out as sentences and verses. I possess this creative flair from childhood. It was my mode of expression. My ambition is to become an editor of a prominent media organization. Even today in the midst of my busy lifestyle I etch my thoughts down on paper,” said the youth who possesses striking features and intelligence.

A bundle of talents in diverse fields, Tharaka opines, “I am not overly concerned about my physical beauty. However I do believe that beauty shines from within a person who possesses a good heart. Beautiful qualities and manners are invaluable. It is a pleasure to be with someone like that. Cultivate good qualities and they will become the feature which draws people to you.”

Oozing with confidence the young lady is certain that she will bring glory to Sri Lanka at the international beauty pageant. She hopes to showcase Sri Lanka's identity through its natural beauty and wonders.

“We are unique in appearance. We possess Asian features, medium height and a beautiful, tan complexion.

We have a lot of talented designers, dressmakers and make up artists who can compete with foreign countries. They are very creative and are able to use available resources to create something unique. I need their support to make a strong impact on stage,” Tharaka said.

She is grateful to Vasana Danthanarayana of R & V Entertainment for grooming her to face one of the most challenging moments on her life. She also thanks professionals and well experienced personalities in the beauty and glamour scene such as Micheal Wijesuriya and Ramani Fernando for their work in identifying upcoming models. She expresses her gratitude to her mother and brother for encouraging her to achieve her goal.

Though she is on the doorstep of her dream career Tharaka says that studies are important to gain the benefits in life. For her physical beauty is temporary while knowledge is an eternal tool which can be used create a better life for yourself and all those around you.