At the grand Vivashree Mrs Bihar 2026 pageant held at Panash Kautilya Hotel in Patna, a mother of three from Muzaffarpur walked away with the crown. Soni Gupta beat nearly 100 contestants from across different districts of Bihar to win the coveted title, seventeen years after her wedding, a milestone that showed dreams do not come with an expiry date. Along with the crown, she also received a cash prize of Rs 50,000.
Who is Soni Gupta
Soni Gupta lives in Muzaffarpur, where she works as the Director of Shanti Niketan School. Her husband is a doctor by profession. Balancing home, three children and her school duties, she still carved out time to prepare for the pageant and give it her full effort. Winning such a large competition while raising three kids was no small feat, and her achievement drew widespread praise at the event.
A husband's initial refusal, then full support
Soni first heard about the Vivashree Mrs Bihar pageant through Instagram. She then raised the idea of taking part with her husband, who initially refused to give his permission. Soni did not give up. She explained her wish to him and spelled out why this platform mattered to her. Her husband eventually came around, and her whole family stood behind her through the process.
Her first pageant, backed by a 15-day grooming session
This was the first beauty pageant of Soni's life. Alongside caring for her three children, managing household responsibilities and her school work, she poured herself into preparing for the competition. She joined a 15-day grooming session, working on both her personality and her confidence. Contestants presented their talent, personality, confidence and views on social issues across different rounds of the event, and it was on these very parameters that Soni was judged the best performer and named the winner.
Neha Dan and Jyoti Pathak named runners-up
In the tightly contested pageant among nearly 100 participants, Neha Dan was declared the first runner-up while Jyoti Pathak was named the second runner-up. The performances of all three winners were widely appreciated throughout the event.
What comes next for Soni
Following her win, Soni Gupta said she wants to keep growing in this field. She plans to take part in similar pageants in the future and also hopes to work in films and advertisements. Soni's dream is to represent India on an international stage, and she is preparing to work hard toward that goal.
