Miss Nepal beauty pageant to be held in September or October

Kathmandu, Aug.13 (ANI): The popular Miss Nepal beauty pageant will be held either next month or in October, the event's organisers, The Hidden Treasure, have said.

The event management company, which is based in Lalitpur, announced that it has begun accepting applications from Nepali women who are above 18 and are at least above 5 feet 4 inches (around 162.5 cm) tall, and have completed high school.

The beauty pagenat has been held since 1994 and has spawned dozens of other beauty contests like Miss Teen, Miss Mongol, and even pageants for men.

However, out of respect for Nepal's conservative society, Miss Nepal does not have a swim suit round, the Xinhua news agency reports.

There is a view that girls participating in the "Miss Nepal" contest actually get empowered.

Some of the former Miss Nepals have become a pilot, a bank executive, an actress in the Nepali film industry and a well-known VJ and master of ceremonies.

The Miss Nepals are also brand ambassadors for the World Wildlife Fund's Nepal chapter.

They also take part in social campaigns like cancer awareness drives. (ANI)