Miss Nepal Universe 2018 Manita Devkota secured herself in the top 10 at the 67th Miss Universe 2018 finale held on December 17 in Bangkok, Thailand.
The 23 year old is the second Miss Nepal to compete in the Miss Universe pageant, after Nagma Shrestha represented Nepal for the first time last year.
Born in Gorkha district, Devkota migrated to US with her parents when she was eight, where she completed her bachelors in public health. During the finale, she was selected for the top 20 and eventually to the top 10.
One of the highlights of her Miss Universe journey was her national costume, which was themed from the ensemble of Goddess Avalokitesvara, who guards the world in the interval between the departure of historical Buddha and the appearance of future Buddha according to legends. Her national costume in a silvery white sarong like dress is completed with an illustrative head and back gear.
During the evening gown competition, she wore a white and orange asymmetrical ombre gown, but she stumbled toward the end of runway. Although she quickly maintained her composure, the audiences across social media blamed the incident for Devkota not being selected for the top 5. After her promising performance during the preliminary rounds and earlier segments in the finale, Nepali audiences had expected her to advance closer to the crown.
Devkota works with an organisation called ‘Days for Girls Nepal’ to empower Nepali girls and women regarding menstrual health challenges and ‘She’s the First Foundation’, that fights gender inequality through education.
source: ekantipur.com