Nikita Chandak from Urlabari, Morang has bagged the coveted title of Miss Nepal World 2017. At a gala event held in the Capital on Friday evening, Chandak piped 18 other contestants to become the 22nd Miss Nepal, while also bagging two other subtitles—Miss Popular Choice and Miss Confident. Rojina Shrestha, Niti Shah and Sahara Basnet won Miss Nepal Earth, Miss Nepal International and Miss Asia-Pacific International titles, respectively.

The Hidden Treasure which was established in 1994 is a professional development training institution and event management company that has been sending the title winners to international pageants. Ruby Rana, Malvika Subba, Payal Shakya, Subin Limbu, Zenisha Moktan, Jharana Bajracharya are some previous titleholders who have represented Nepal at international beauty pageants. 

Friday’s show was the culmination of a six-week long rigorous training that commenced after auditions were held in six different cities in the country, drawing thousands of applicants. As part of the preparations, the 19 contestants traveled to Dhulikhel and Chitwan, where they partook in trainings facilitated by professionals from various walks of life and competed in various subtitle competitions such as Miss Talent, Miss Athlete, Miss Intellectual, Miss Best Hair, Miss Confident, Miss Best Complexion and others.

Now, the four winners, including Miss Asia Pacific, an additional title introduced this year, will start preparations for international pageants set to be held later this year. Chandak will travel to China this November to participate in the coveted Miss World pageant. 

The dates for Miss Earth, Miss International and Miss Asia Pacific International are yet to be announced.

Speaking to the Post, Gopal Sundar Lal Kakshapati, Chairman of The Hidden Treasure,  said, “We are very pleased with the outcome this year, and the event and the winner were all well recieved.”

“Since the very beginning of the trainings, Nikita was always focused and enthusiastic about learning and experiencing new things,” Kakshapati said. He added that Chandak who comes from a modeling background worked hard to prepare herself for the final. “I am happy for Nikita for winning the title, she is a hard worker and will be a great representative for the country in the year ahead,” he said. 

Name: Nikita Chandak

Age: 20

Hometown: Urlabari, Morang

In her own words

I am most passionate about... Exploring myself and unleashing the hidden treasures that lie within me.

Some of the people who inspire me are... I am a good listener, not just in the sense of classroom listening, but I love listening to people’s stories, their experiences, especially about their hardships and I try taking inspirations from how they overcame various challenges in life.

If money was not an issue, I would be doing... I feel I have been doing everything I wish to, but my problem is that I am still financially dependent on my father which I would like to change soon.

Ten years from now, I want to be doing... Life is uncertain and unpredictable. I have ambition and goals to achieve. But sometimes things might just not workout the way you plan. But undoubtedly, I will be an independent, strong and confident lady.

The most important thing in life is...Happiness; when one is happy everything just feels right and beautiful. It’s all positive in and around you. There is peace, contentment, self-belief. Everything is just miraculous.

Some values all people should have are... Loyalty, honesty, positivity, having respect for others. People should always be encouraging, sensitive but strong, compassionate, kind, hardworking, determined, and have high self-esteem.

To me Miss Nepal is... A platform for my personal growth and development. With the crown comes a big responsibility towards the nation and its people. It’s a challenge, but a beautiful one. 

SUB-TITLE WINNERS

- Miss Intellectual: Sahara Basnet

- Miss Beauty with a Purpose: Dristi Katwal

- Miss Popular Choice: Nikita Chandak

- Miss Athlete: Manzari Singh

- Miss Talent: Narmata Gurung

- Miss Friendship: Rojina Shrestha

- Miss Photogenic: Anusha Lamsal

- Miss Confident: Nikita Chandak

- Miss Best Complexion: Niti Shah

- Miss Best Hair: Barsha Pokharel

- Miss Fascino: Niti Shah