Nineteen contestants vying for this year’s Miss Nepal crown became the crowning jewels of Sauraha, Chitwan over the last few days. The excursion was part of the Hidden Treasure’s preliminary training round, where the contestants were acquainted with the Chitwan National Park, along with nature and wildlife experts leading them through the ins and outs of nature conservation.

The Chitwan tour has been a regular fixture on the Miss Nepal calendar in recent years.

Among the travelling contestants was 22-year-old Barsha Pokharel, representing Biratnagar. “Sauraha has been in my bucket list for a long time now, and checking it off the list has been a delightful experience,” she said to the Post. She added that she was mesmerised by the region but there was more to this trip than just fun. “The jungle safari was fun, but it was also a wonderful opportunity to learn about conservation of nature and wildlife.”

Chitwan National Park is Nepal’s first national park and was granted the status of a World Heritage Site in 1984. Covering an area of 360 square miles, the park boasts an estimated 700 different species of wildlife.

Anusha Lamsal, another contestant, holds a bachelor’s degree in foresty; it was her second visit to the park. “The first time I visited this place, I was here for academic purposes,” she said, “This time around I saw and felt the beauty of this place more closely, especially while boating over Rapti.”

For Lamsal, Miss Nepal is not only about glamour. “It really is a pageant with a purpose. Thanks to the pageant I have had the opportunity to see flora and fauna of the region in a light that I wouldn’t have otherwise.”

Once the journey into the National Park concluded, the contestants were led through a workshop on wildlife conservation mentored by experts, after which, they travelled to the Madhyabarti Samudayik Ban to observe and understand the value of community forests.

Speaking to the Post, Gopal Sundarlal Kakshyapati, chaiperson of the Hidden Treasure, said: “This is an important part of the contest as the contestants will eventually go on to contribute to the cause. They can only be proactive in the field if they feel about nature conversation strongly.” 

The Hidden Treasure Miss Nepal is the country’s premier beauty pageant that nominates Nepali contestants to international pageants like the Miss World. This year’s event, the 22nd iteration of the pageant, will see 19 participants—from Kathmandu, Pokhara, Butwal, Chitwan and Dhulabari—compete for the crown. The event will culminate in a gala event scheduled for June 2, to be held at Hotel Annapurna in the Capital.