Patna: Shaan Suhas Kumar, 26, who is representing India at the Miss Earth 2017 beauty pageant, has roots in Bihar.

Daughter of retired Indian Forest Service officer Suhas Kumar and Aarti Kumar, the head of Mass Open Online Course (MOOC) and content at AISECT University, Bhopal, Shaan was selected for Miss Earth India 2017 on September 29, 2017. Later, she was selected to represent India in Miss Earth 2017, the final of which will be held in Manila, Philippines, on November 4.

Suhas hails from Purnea whereas Aarti is from Patna's Salimpurahara locality near Gandhi Maidan.

Shaan reached Manila on October 8 and is going through training being carried out by the organiser.

Mother Aarti, who has completed her studies from Science College Patna, said: "It is a proud moment for me and for Bihar because a daughter of this state has gone to represent India for such a prestigious event."

Shaan visited Patna in 2016 when her grandmother, Rajkumari Sinha, passed away but prior to her last visit she used to frequent Patna to spend quality time with her family here. "Shaan is in touch with us on WhatsApp. She is currently on the outskirts of Manila for scuba diving training," Aarti said.

On how does she feel as her daughter has chosen a field, which is not "appreciated" in Bihar, Aarti said: "She has been brought up in an atmosphere where daughters are treated equally. I was the only daughter among my three brothers but my family never treated me differently. We do not believe in restricting our daughters to the kitchen. We encourage them to achieve their goals."