GOLDEN APPLE - THE WORLD'S FIRST BEAUTY CONTEST

 

GOLDEN  APPLE   -   THE  WORLD'S  FIRST 
BEAUTY  CONTEST               
                               


  

                      
         The Judgement of Paris (1599) by Hendrick van Balen the Elder. Gemäldegalerie, Berlin




A "golden apple" refers most commonly to the mythological fruit from the Garden of the Hesperides that sparked the Trojan War.



Greek Mythology (Apple of Discord): Thrown by Eris at a wedding, inscribed "For the Fairest," it caused a dispute between Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite, leading to the Trojan War.

                               
                                         
                                     Golden Apple of Discord by Jacob Jordaens




The Judgement of Paris is a story from Greek mythology, that was one of the events that led up to the Trojan War.



Eris, the goddess of discord, was not invited to the wedding of Peleus and Thetis. The wedding was a grand event. Eris was the goddess of discord. She was angry about the slight and decided to send a gift. This gift was a golden apple, sometimes called the apple of discord. In revenge, she brought a golden apple, inscribed, "To the fairest one". Three goddesses became embroiled in a beauty contest because of the apple: Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite. The goddesses were most beautiful, and each one of them was unbeatable in their own way. Zeus did not want to choose who was the fairest and gave the task to Paris, a prince of Troy.

 

Paris was famous for organizing bullfights. He had a bull that defeated all other bulls in the land. He offered a golden crown to anyone who could defeat his bull. Ares, the god of war, took the form of a bull and defeated Paris's bull. Without hesitation, the Trojan prince gave the promised golden crown to Ares. The fairness of the judgment of Paris earned him the respect of the Olympians, who therefore asked him to choose the most beautiful of the three goddesses.

Zeus chose Paris because the man was known for his fair judgments and for not taking bribes. Paris is known for his understanding of female beauty and his fair judgment. Three guests, Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite, after some disputation, agreed to have Paris of Troy choose the fairest one. The Judgement of Paris refers to the event where Paris had to decide who was the fairest and most beautiful.



In the "Judgement of Paris," the three goddesses attempted to bribe Paris to win the golden apple marked "for the fairest".

Hera: Offered to make him King of Europe and Asia (or immense power and wealth).
Athena: Offered wisdom and skill in war/victory in battle.
Aphrodite: Offered the most beautiful woman in the world, Helen of Sparta

Paris chose Aphrodite, having bribed him with the most beautiful mortal woman in the world, Helen of Sparta, wife of Menelaus. Consequently, Paris carried Helen off to Troy, and the Greeks invaded Troy for Helen's return. Eris's Apple of Discord (or her not being invited to the wedding in the first place) was thus the instrumental casus belli of the Trojan War.

A casus belli (from Latin casus belli 'occasion for war'; pl. casus belli) is an act or an event that either provokes or is used to justify a war.


                               

                Joachim Wtewael, c. 1615, with the wedding feast of the gods in the background




Aphrodite won the Judgement of Paris. All three goddesses bribed Paris, and Aphrodite's bribe was that Paris could have the most beautiful mortal woman. This was Helen. She, too, liked the young and handsome Prince of Troy, Paris, and eloped with him.

Today, when someone speaks of an apple of discord, they are referring to something that can cause jealousy.

This myth highlights themes of desire, corruption, and how a seemingly small judgment can cause massive conflict, setting the stage for the Trojan War.

In many languages, the orange is referred to as a "golden apple".




While on the subject of beauty contests, let us examine present days' world famous beauty contests.

India had won many international beauty pageants.


India has won the prestigious Miss World title six times, with winners including Reita Faria (1966), Aishwarya Rai (1994), Diana Hayden (1997), Yukta Mookhey (1999), Priyanka Chopra (2000), and Manushi Chhillar (2017). These women have made significant impacts in fashion, acting, and philanthropy, establishing India as a powerhouse in the pageant world.

 

In addition to the honor and responsibilities, the Miss World winner receives a substantial cash prize. As of recent editions, the prize money awarded to the winner is $1 million USD, intended to support her humanitarian projects and personal development during her tenure.

India's Harnaaz Kaur Sandhu made the country proud by winning the Miss Universe 2021 competition. She became the 3rd person to win the title after Sushmita Sen and Lara Dutta.

 

The Miss Universe winner receives a one-time prize of $250,000 USD along with a monthly salary of $50,000 USD for an entire year. She is also provided with a luxury apartment in New York, extensive travel opportunities, and a full professional support team.

The consumer giant Godrej held a Miss World Beauty contest at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore, India, on November 23, 1996, which was won by the Greek beauty Irene Skliva.


The 46th edition of the Miss World pageant had 88 participants from as many countries around the world.

 

After completing her year as Miss World, Skliva returned to Greece, where she pursued a career in television and modeling, her face appearing on the covers of numerous Greek magazines, namely Diva and Lipstick.

The Bangalore Beauty Pageant 1996 had judges from India and overseas. The wife of the Chairperson of Godrej Group, Mr. Adi Godrej, Parmeshwar Godrej, was one of the organizers and judges of the beauty pageant. The other judges were actor Amir Khan, Miss World 1994 titleholder Aishwarya Rai from India, and Sri Lankan cricketer Sanath Jayasuriya, among others.

Adi and Parameshwar Godrej

The event was organized by ABCL, which was led by Amitabh Bachchan.

Miss World is the oldest existing international beauty pageant. It was created in the United Kingdom by Eric Morley in 1951.  Since he died in 2000, Morley's widow, Julia Morley, has chaired the pageant.  Along with Miss Universe, Miss International, and Miss Earth, it is one of the Big Four beauty pageants.