Kathmandu —Deepmala Dhakal was crowned Miss Nepal World 2026 at the grand finale held in Pulchowk, Lalitpur on Saturday. The 24-year-old emerged victorious from a field of 23 finalists in the prestigious national pageant organised by The Hidden Treasure.

At the same event, Kashis Subba was named Miss Nepal Cosmo 2026, while Arya Nishaant took the title of Miss Nepal International 2026. As Miss Nepal World, Dhakal will represent the country at the upcoming Miss World international pageant.

Born and raised in Hong Kong, Dhakal previously won Miss Nepal Hong Kong International 2026. She is a graduate of the University of Hong Kong with a Bachelor’s degree in economics and works as an investment strategist at BlackRock. Beyond her professional achievements, she is a taekwondo black belt holder and a marathon runner.

Following her coronation, Dhakal expressed gratitude to the organisers, judges, supporters and her family. She described the crown as carrying great responsibility. The new Miss Nepal said her mother has been her biggest inspiration, noting that her mother had competed in the first Miss Nepal pageant in 1994.

Dhakal’s win marks another milestone for the long-running Miss Nepal competition, highlighting a contestant who balances academic excellence, professional success in finance and sporting discipline with her pageant journey.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​