‘I started wearing heels 24*7’: Manika Vishwakarma opens up about preparing for Miss Universe pageant

Manika mentioned Miss Universe being a beauty competition is the "biggest misconception".

Manika Vishwakarma (Photo: Miss Universe India Org)

Not long ago, Miss Universe India Manika Vishwakarma, 22, opened up about prepping for beauty pageants, a dream she had ever since she was four years old after watching Miss Universe 1994 winner and actor Sushmita Sen in Main Hoon Na. Admiring the legend, Manika, who represented India at Miss Universe 2025 in Thailand but did not make it to the Top 12, opened up about the rigorous training required for beauty pageants. “Most people see the prelims and the finale. But there is an entire 30-day pageant where we have rigorous rounds and subtitles. Every day, there is a different activity where you are tested,” said Manika, who hails from Rajasthan’s Ganganagar.

If you want to prepare for Miss Universe, it has to be a pageant-centric training. I was lucky to get the best coach, she mentioned.

On her journey

Explaining the nitty-gritties in an interview with The Lallantop, Manika said that a ramp walk is very different from a normal walk. “It varies from stage to stage. The training for Miss Universe differs from that of other pageants. For ramp walk, it takes discipline like anything. I consider ramp walking a sport. It takes at least 3-4 months of rigorous training, regularly, to actually get close to where we are today…We walk in 6-7-inch heels, which is the norm…”

She went on to describe her ‘journey’ with heels. “The first time I ever wore heels, I was too scared…I had a journey with heels…I started off with 4.5 inches, then I moved to six inches, and then I applied a trick. In January 2025, I started wearing heels at home, even when walking, cooking, sitting, or studying…I started wearing heels 24×7. And the pain was gone. Your body adapts to it.”

Manika Vishwakarma speaks about beauty pageants (Photo: Freepik)

On stereotypes

Quashing stereotypes that pageants are all about physicality, Manika said pageantry is not modelling. According to Manika, modelling has a particular frame, but in pageants, that is not the case. “Dieting never becomes a problem. In modelling, a specific measurement is preferred. In pageants, dieting is never an issue…we can have our body type. The more diversity, the more you appreciate it.”

She mentioned Miss Universe being a beauty competition is the “biggest misconception”. “Yes, there is the technical side, which is your ramp walk, communication skills, and destin, which is the most important thing. But it’s not the face but the aura of the person that shines on the stage. It’s just not about beauty, but someone who commands authority in the way she conducts herself…stage presence is one factor which is non-negotiable. That makes a difference. It’s never the weight, never the height, or the profession, but what she represents, the thoughts, stories, community,” said Manika.

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