By Mata Press Service

Most Tibetan women living-in-exile in Dharamshala town of scenic Himachal Pradesh wear ankle-length skirts and long-sleeved blouses.

Their conservative lifestyle disapproves of the public display of women.

This month, six women, including a dermatologist from Canada, aim to change some of the traditional views in the seat of the Dalai Lama’s government-in-exile which is home to thousands of Tibetans.

The six are the participants for the beauty pageant, which elects "Miss Tibet 2006" - the highest ever for the beauty contest conducted in Dharamshala.

The contestants like an increasing number of Tibetans believe such competitions can be of great help to highlight their cause internationally.

Being organised for the fifth year, the competition has always courted controversies. In 2005, it witnessed only one participant.

Canada’s participant is 25-year-old Wangchuk Palmo. She was born in Bir, near Dharamshala, but moved to Canada in 2001.

“As the winner of the Miss Tibet Beauty Pageant I would bring to the world an insight into our culture and traditions, particularly from a young Tibetan woman's perspective,” says Palmo, who is also a licensed cosmetologist.

“Tibetan women should be encouraged and supported, and receive the same opportunities as women in other parts of the world,”

Palmo plans to open her own clinic next year and become financially self-sufficient.

Her future plans include travelling to different parts of the world, including Tibet, as a Canadian citizen, and raising specific problems “troubling our great country, including a documentary film about the Tibetan situation.”

But for now, she is doing Yoga and meditating in Dharamshala while preparing for the pageant which is to be held in Mcleod Ganj near October 13 to 15.

The competition would be held in seven rounds and the swimsuit round would be held at Asia Health resort on October 13.

The winner will get a prize of 100,000 rupees (about C$2,500).

Lawmakers of the Tibetan government-in-exile believe the show is part an attempt to keep abreast of changing times.

"We are living in the 21st century and that's why we should also move with the world. This is the reason why we have organised this beauty pageant in the exiled headquarters. I strongly support it as through this we can also bring in the issue of Tibet," said Karma Yeshi, a member of the Tibetan parliament-in-exile.

The other participants are Metok Lhanze, 20, from Delhi; Pema Chodon (Peyang), 24, from Dehra Dun; Tenzin Palmo, 23, from Delhi; Tsering Chungtak, 21, from Delhi and  Tseten Yangzom, 21, from Kathmandu, Nepal.

"I have come here on behalf of all Tibetans, to participate in this Tibetan beauty cause. Being a refugee, I have never dreamt of winning in the pageant. I am thankful to the Indian government for the independence they have given us," said Tseten Yangzom Kawa.

Lobsang Wangyal, director of the pageant said he received applications from 11 eligible candidates. Two dropped out earlier, one from Singapore couldn’t come due to leave problems, one from Sikkim got sick and one from Bangalore has not given a reason for pulling out.

“We now have six brave contestants. It must have been a difficult decision for each of them to confront a traditionalist Tibetan society. But since change is a natural phenomenon and since Tibetan people need to move forward, we believe the participants are responsible, forward-looking and modern Tibetan women. We, therefore, have every reason to expect more contestants in the future,” said Wangyal.