NEW JERSEY: The first ever Mommy & Me 2008 -- a mother-daughter pageant organized by Aum Shanti on Feb 16 -- saw enthusiastic participation. Twenty teams from New Jersey and New York were selected for the final pageant sponsored by Nationwide.

All the participating Mother-Daughter contestants presented their respective talents along with the two catwalk rounds - Indian / traditional wear and Western wear. Of these, top 10 finalists who answered the judges' questions were selected.

Nisha Mathur, a TV professional and resident of North Brunswick and her fifth grade daughter Nikita won the title of 'Nationwide Mommy and Me 2008' at a pageant held at Royal Albert's Palace in Fords, New Jersey.

The first-of-its-kind show was organized to highlight the talents of young girls and their mothers for the perfect bonding, according to Jayesh Mehta of Aum Shanti. The winners were crowned by Tariq Khan of Nationwide Insurance Company, who also acted as one of the judges of the contest.

Other winners of the pageant were: Pharmacist Hetal and her daughter Niva Patel - first runner-up; Anita Singh, a computer professional and her daughter Pooja - second runner-up.

All winners were presented with plaques, certificates and prizes by Aum Shanti. Mehta said that he would organize similar contests in other states in coming months that will finally culminate in a national pageant of 'Nationwide Mommy and Me 2008' at the end of the year.

"I wanted to honor the role of mothers in shaping the personalities of their daughters," said Mehta. "All the mothers who took part in the contest were working professionals." The judges represented the professions of art, culture and businesses.

They included Shobhna Patel, former president of Federation of Indian Associations, choreographer Sudha Grover, Beena Menon and successful business woman Sheetal Patel.

Among the sponsors of the event were Nationwide Insurance Company, online Boutique Kaneesha.com, International Sleep Network, Royal Alberts Palace, Dish, MH1, TV Asia, Dhoom FM, Masala Cruise, India Abroad, Indus American Bank, Mercury Auto Center, and Amish Thakkars fine art studio.