Famous Nepalese People

Manisha Koirala is a Nepalese actress known for her work in Indian films. One of the most critically acclaimed actresses of the 1990s, Koirala has won several prestigious awards. She is also known for her social activism and is credited with promoting women's rights. Her achievements in films and off-screen work have made her one of the most recognized Nepalis.

Nepali-Indian Sherpa mountaineer, Tenzing Norgay, was one of the first two individuals known to reach the summit of Mount Everest, the other being Edmund Hillary. He was named one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century by Time magazine. In his later years, he became the first Director of Field Training of the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute.

Anatoli Boukreev was a Russian Kazakhstani mountaineer best remembered for his efforts that saved the lives of many during the 1996 Mount Everest disaster. The following year, he died in an avalanche in Nepal. In the 2015 historical adventure film Everest, which depicts the 1996 disaster, Anatoli Boukreev is played by actor Ingvar Eggert Sigurðsson.

Also known as Begum of Awadh, Begum Hazrat Mahal was the second wife of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah. She is remembered for rebelling against the British East India Company during the Indian Rebellion of 1857. Following her husband’s exile, she took over affairs in the state of Awadh. However, she was forced by the British to abandon Awadh.

Sandeep Lamichhane is a Nepalese cricketer who plays for the Nepalese national team as a right-arm leg-spin bowler. Besides his national team, he has also played for Twenty20 franchise sides across the world. As a boy, he trained at  Chitwan Cricket Academy and was named in Nepal's under-19 squad. He is also a singer and has a YouTube channel. 

Prithvi Narayan Shah reigned as the King of Gorkha from 1743 to 1768. He also reigned as the King of Nepal from 1768 to 1775. As the first ruler of the Kingdom of Nepal, Shah began the unification of Nepal. Due to his efforts to unify Nepal, Prithvi Narayan Shah is regarded as the Father of the Nation.

Ang Dorje Sherpa is a Nepali mountaineering guide, porter, and climber. He has climbed to the peak of Mount Everest on 21 occasions. Ang Dorje Sherpa is perhaps best known for his role as Sirdar during Robert Edwin Hall's Adventure Consultants expedition to Mount Everest in 1996.

Binod Chaudhary is a Nepalese politician, businessman, and philanthropist. He is best known for his association with the Chaudhary Group, where he serves as the president and chairman. Also known for his charity work, Binod Chaudhary was honoured in 2015 by Sri Sri University for his contribution in philanthropy. In 2016, he received the Asian Man of the Year Award.

Jung Bahadur Rana is credited with founding the famous Rana dynasty in Nepal. One of the most prominent figures in the history of Nepal, Rana took control of the government of Nepal in 1846 and became the country's prime minister. The last few days of his life inspired the 2015 Nepali historical film, Seto Bagh.

Apa Sherpa is a Nepalese mountaineer who held the record for reaching the peak of Mount Everest on more number of occasions than any other person until 2017. He retired after summiting Everest 21 times, a record that was broken by Kami Rita Sherpa. Apa is credited with co-founding The Apa Sherpa Foundation, which aims at improving economy in Nepal.  

Girija Prasad Koirala was a Nepalese politician who served as the prime minister of the country on four occasions. Although he was accused of institutionalizing corruption in Nepal, Koirala remains one of the most popular politicians in the history of Nepal. In 2015, he was posthumously honored with Nepal's highest honor, Nepal Ratna Man Padavi.

Peter Aufschnaiter was an Austrian agricultural scientist, mountaineer, cartographer, and geographer. His experiences in Tibet during the Second World War with fellow climber Heinrich Harrer were portrayed in the 1997 biographical war drama film, Seven Years in Tibet. Peter Aufschnaiter played a prominent role in Tibet, where he helped plan a sewage system and a hydroelectric power plant in Lhasa.

Matthieu Ricard is a French photographer, writer, translator, and Buddhist monk. He serves as a board member of the popular not-for-profit organization Mind and Life Institute. After having received a Ph.D. degree from the Pasteur Institute, Ricard gave up his scientific career to practice Tibetan Buddhism. He is also the co-founder of another international non-profit organization, Karuna-Shechen.

Maha Maya was the mother of Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism. Maya is often depicted as a beautiful queen of the Śakya clan. She is revered in Buddhism and is often mentioned in the stories pertaining to the life of Gautama Buddha.

Sushil Koirala was a Nepalese politician who served as the prime minister of Nepal from 1 February 2014 to 10 October 2015. His government was panned for its slow response to the April 2015. Nepal earthquake. After his demise in 2016, the Sushil Koirala Memorial Foundation was established in his honor.

Pasang Lhamu Sherpa was a Nepalese mountaineer. In 1993, she became the first Nepalese woman to reach the peak of Mount Everest. However, she lost her life while descending. Pasang Lhamu Sherpa was honored posthumously in various ways by mountaineers around the world. She also became the first woman to receive the prestigious Nepal Tara by the King of Nepal.

Babu Chiri Sherpa was a Nepalese mountaineer best remembered for reaching the peak of Mount Everest on 10 occasions. He was also a humanitarian and environmentalist who wanted to build schools in Nepal. Babu Chiri Sherpa's dream was realized before his death when a school was erected in his home village. 

Born in a remote village in Nepal, Baburam Bhattarai completed his education in India on scholarships. The former prime minister of Nepal also boasts of a PhD from JNU. A member of the Maoist faction of the Communist Party of Nepal, he later launched his own party, Naya Shakti.

Nepali Communist Party leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal, better known as Prachanda, or “fierce,” played a major role in the Maoist insurgency that put an end to monarchy in the country and brought about democracy. He thus served as the first Nepali prime minister, and returned to the post later.

Bidya Devi Bhandari is a Nepalese politician and the current president of Nepal. An important politician, Bidya Devi Bhandari previously served as the minister of environment and population from March 1997 to October 1997. She also served as the minister of defence from 2009 to 2011. In 2016, she was included in Forbes magazine's world's 100 most powerful women list. 

Ram Baran Yadav is a Nepalese physician and politician. He is best known for his service as the President of Nepal from 2008 to 2015. An important politician, Ram Baran Yadav also served as the Health Minister from 1999 to 2001.