National Heroes of Nepal (Rastriya Vibhuti): The Complete List of 18

The National Heroes of Nepal, called Rastriya Vibhuti (राष्ट्रिय विभूति) in Nepali, are a small, exclusive group of individuals whom the state has formally recognised for extraordinary contributions to the nation across history. The word vibhuti carries the sense of a luminary or a person of exceptional glory, and the title is treated as the highest honour a Nepali can receive for lasting national impact. Because it is awarded only posthumously, it functions as a permanent tribute rather than a living award or decoration.

As of 2026 there are 18 National Heroes. The list deliberately spans thousands of years, from ancient spiritual and cultural figures such as Gautam Buddha and Sita, through medieval architects and kings, to modern warriors, poets, reformers and a Himalayan mountaineer. This range reflects the founding idea that national greatness is not limited to one field or one era but is expressed through faith, learning, unification, sacrifice and human achievement alike.

The Rastriya Vibhuti list is a perennial general-knowledge and Loksewa (Public Service Commission) examination topic. Because the roster has grown over the decades rather than being fixed once, a common recurring search is simply how many national heroes Nepal now has. This page keeps the count and the full directory in one place, with each figure's era, field and one-line contribution.

The concept was institutionalised in 1955 (2012 Bikram Sambat), when King Mahendra appointed a commission headed by the eminent dramatist and writer Balkrishna Sama to identify the nation's foremost figures. The commission was asked to nominate people on the basis of their contribution to the nation and the influence and consequences of that contribution, spanning religious, cultural and economic reform, wartime bravery, service to democracy, literature and architecture.

This first commission enlisted the initial group of national heroes, widely reported as 13 figures drawn from ancient, medieval and modern Nepal. Additional luminaries have been added over the following decades rather than all at once, which is why the number keeps changing and why people re-search the total whenever a new name is announced.

The title is not a routine annual award and cannot be applied for. It is conferred only after deliberation, and today the process is associated with the Nepal Academy (Nepal Pragya Pratisthan) alongside decisions of the Government of Nepal's Council of Ministers (Cabinet). Because recognition is posthumous, every honouree is a historical figure whose legacy has already been tested by time.

The directory below lists all 18 Rastriya Vibhuti grouped by field, with their approximate era and the achievement for which they are honoured. Dates for ancient and mythological figures are traditional; dates for historical figures follow the widely accepted record. Fields are simplified into broad categories (spiritual, king/ruler, warrior/martyr, poet/writer, architect, reformer and mountaineer) so the list can be scanned or filtered by theme.

Grouping the Rastriya Vibhuti by field shows how the state defines national contribution. The kings and rulers, from Janak and Amshuvarma to Ram Shah, Prithvi Narayan Shah, Bhimsen Thapa and Tribhuvan, represent statecraft, unification and reform. Prithvi Narayan Shah stands out for creating the modern Nepali state, while Tribhuvan is honoured for his role in the transition away from a century of Rana autocracy.

The warriors and martyrs, including Amar Singh Thapa, Bhakti Thapa and Balbhadra Kunwar, are recognised for valour in the Anglo-Nepal War (1814–1816), a conflict that has become central to Nepal's national identity and its reputation for bravery. Bhakti Thapa's death in battle at Deuthal is one of the most cited acts of self-sacrifice in that war.

The cultural, literary and spiritual figures give the list its breadth. Gautam Buddha and Sita anchor Nepal's ancient religious heritage; Sankhadhar Sakhwa and Araniko represent civic reform and artistic genius; and Bhanubhakta Acharya and Motiram Bhatta represent the birth and revival of Nepali literature. Phalgunanda adds indigenous Kirat religious reform, while Pasang Lhamu Sherpa, the only mountaineer and one of very few women on the list, represents modern Himalayan achievement.

After the original 1955 commission, further names were added gradually over the following decades, which is the main reason the total has changed multiple times. Pasang Lhamu Sherpa, honoured after becoming the first Nepali woman to reach the summit of Everest on 22 April 1993, was among the later additions in the late 1990s, giving the list a modern and female icon for the first time.

Mahaguru Phalgunanda, the eastern-Nepal Kirat religious reformer, was subsequently added, extending recognition to an indigenous spiritual tradition. Bhakti Thapa, the Anglo-Nepal War commander who fell at Deuthal, was declared a national hero on 1 July 2021, becoming the 17th figure on the roster and the first new addition in years.

The most recent honouree is Jaya Prithvi Bahadur Singh (1877–1940), the ruler of the Bajhang principality who championed education, wrote an early Nepali-language textbook, worked with the Gorkhapatra newspaper and campaigned for world peace. The Government of Nepal's Cabinet declared him a national hero on 20 June 2022, bringing the total to 18. Because recognition is periodic, this number can rise again if the government and Nepal Academy approve future names.

The Rastriya Vibhuti list is more than a ceremonial roll of honour. It functions as an official statement of the values Nepal wishes to project: spiritual depth, cultural achievement, national unity, resistance to foreign domination, literary excellence and modern accomplishment. Streets, institutions, awards and public statues across the country reference these figures, and their images and stories are embedded in the national curriculum.

For students and job-seekers, the list is essential general knowledge. Loksewa (Public Service Commission) and school-level examinations regularly ask candidates to identify national heroes, their fields and the reasons for their recognition, so memorising the roster by category and era is a practical study task. Questions such as how many national heroes Nepal has and who the newest one is are among the most common general-knowledge items.

Finally, the evolving nature of the list reflects a broader conversation about representation and history. The inclusion of a female mountaineer, an indigenous Kirat reformer and a peace-and-education advocate shows how the definition of national heroism has widened beyond kings and warriors. That is why the directory is worth revisiting: the count today is 18, but Nepal's roll of luminaries is a living record, not a closed book.