Finally the wait is over, and the 21st edition of The Hidden Treasure Miss Nepal 2017 is on its way to the finale. The announcement was made on Monday at an event held in Kathmandu. Miss Nepal (currently known as The Hidden Treasure Miss Nepal) is an annual national pageant of Nepal held in Kathmandu, Nepal since its commencement in 1994. The winner of the pageant competes in Miss World, first runner up competes in Miss Earth and second runner up competes in Miss International.

The Miss Nepal 2017 pageant will be taking in applications until April 13. There will be a total of 20 finalists, and the auditions to select the finalists who will further compete to clinch the prestigious title will travel to seven major cities - Kathmandu, Biratnagar, Chitwan, Butwal, Pokhara, Dharan and Dhangadi, this year.

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During the event, the chairman of The Hidden Treasure, Gopal Kakshapati announced that the sub-titles of this year’s pageant would include The Kathmandu Post Miss Intellect, Hyundai Miss Friendship, and Berger Miss Talent, among others.

“Miss Nepal is a national event with an international tag. The Hidden Treasure has been pushing its boundaries further every year and bringing something new for the audiences. This year we are planning to hold a 2 to 3 days closed camp for the contestants along with a six-week training,” said Kakshapati.

Miss Nepal's objective rests on two pillars - personality and leadership development. The organizers are basically in search of a personality that combines beauty, brain, confidence and a positive mind and one who will be able to present Nepal as its worthy ambassador to the outside world. A strong Miss Nepal must also possess interests in empowering women; engage in social service and in promoting issues related to women.

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Miss Nepal 2016, the 21st edition of the pageant, was held on April 8' 2016. At the conclusion of the finals of Miss Nepal 2016, Asmi Shrestha was crowned the winner. Asmi was also present at the press event, along with the other reigning queens. They thanked their supporters and the organisers at the event, also mentioning how the entire process helped shape their personalities and prepare them for the international stage.

The  theme for this year’s pageant will be: Believe and You Can Achieve.