⏱ 4 min read
Lok Sewa GK papers often ask who is called Mahakavi, who wrote Muna Madan, or who the four martyrs were. This note lists Nepal’s national heroes, poets and writers with their titles and famous works, the martyrs of the democratic movement and other people you should know.
1. National heroes (Rastriya Bibhuti)
| Person | Why famous |
|---|---|
| Gautam Buddha | Born in Lumbini; founder of Buddhism |
| King Janak and Sita | Ancient Mithila (Janakpur); Sita is honoured as a national heroine |
| Araniko | Newar artist of the 13th century; built the White Stupa in Beijing |
| Prithvi Narayan Shah | Unifier of modern Nepal; father of the nation |
| Bhanubhakta Acharya | Adikavi; translated the Ramayana into simple Nepali |
| Bhimsen Thapa | Mukhtiyar (1863 to 1894 BS); built Dharahara |
| Amar Singh Thapa, Balbhadra Kunwar, Bhakti Thapa | Heroes of the Anglo-Nepal war |
2. Poets and their titles
| Title | Person | Famous work |
|---|---|---|
| Adikavi (first poet) | Bhanubhakta Acharya | Bhanubhakta Ramayana |
| Mahakavi (great poet) | Laxmi Prasad Devkota | Muna Madan, Shakuntala |
| Kavi Shiromani | Lekhnath Paudyal | Tarun Tapasi |
| Natyasamrat (king of drama) | Balkrishna Sama | Prahlad, Mutuko Byatha |
| Yugkavi | Siddhicharan Shrestha | Mero Pratibimba |
| Rastrakavi (national poet) | Madhav Prasad Ghimire | Gauri |
| Yuvakavi | Motiram Bhatta | Wrote the first biography of Bhanubhakta |
3. Writers and other figures
| Person | Known for |
|---|---|
| Guru Prasad Mainali | Father of the modern Nepali short story; Naso |
| Parijat | Novel Shirish ko Phool (Madan Puraskar) |
| Bhupi Sherchan | Ghumne Mech Mathi Andho Manchhe |
| Gopal Prasad Rimal | Pioneer of modern free-verse Nepali poetry |
| Shankhadhar Sakhwa | Started Nepal Sambat (879 AD) by paying off people’s debts |
| B. P. Koirala | First elected Prime Minister; writer of Sumnima and Teen Ghumti |
| Tenzing Norgay Sherpa | With Hillary, first to climb Sagarmatha (1953) |
4. Martyrs of Nepal
- Lakhan Thapa Magar is regarded as the first martyr of Nepal; he rebelled against Jung Bahadur and was hanged in 1933 BS.
- The four martyrs of 1997 BS who opposed Rana rule: Shukraraj Shastri, Dharma Bhakta Mathema, Gangalal Shrestha and Dasharath Chand.
- Shukraraj Shastri was hanged at Pachali Bhairav (Teku) and Dharma Bhakta Mathema at Sifal; Gangalal and Dasharath Chand were shot at Shobha Bhagwati.
- Martyrs’ Day is observed on Magh 16, and Shahid Gate in Kathmandu honours them.
5. Tips to remember
- Remember poet titles as pairs: Adikavi–Bhanubhakta, Mahakavi–Devkota, Yugkavi–Siddhicharan, Rastrakavi–Madhav Ghimire.
- Link the martyrs to 1997 BS and the Praja Parishad movement against the Ranas.
- The Madan Puraskar is the most famous literary prize for Nepali books.
6. Quick table: titles and personalities
| Title or fact | Person |
|---|---|
| Adikavi (first poet) | Bhanubhakta Acharya |
| Mahakavi (great poet) | Laxmi Prasad Devkota |
| Kavi Shiromani (crown of poets) | Lekhnath Paudyal |
| Yugkavi (poet of the age) | Siddhicharan Shrestha |
| Rashtrakavi (national poet) | Madhav Prasad Ghimire |
| Hasya Samrat (king of humour) | Bhairav Aryal |
| First martyr of democracy | Lakhan Thapa Magar |
| Four martyrs of 1997 BS | Shukraraj Shastri, Dharma Bhakta Mathema, Gangalal Shrestha, Dashrath Chand |
| Unifier of modern Nepal | Prithvi Narayan Shah |
7. Memory tips
- Group the four martyrs by the date they were killed in 1997 BS: Shukraraj at Teku (Pachali Bhairav), Dharma Bhakta at Sifal, Gangalal and Dashrath Chand at Shobha Bhagwati.
- Link each poet with one famous work: Bhanubhakta – Ramayan, Devkota – Muna Madan, Lekhnath – Tarun Tapasi.
- Learn the Rastriya Bibhuti (national heroes) in historical order, from Prithvi Narayan Shah to the leaders of the 2007 BS revolution.
8. How this topic is asked in the exam
Most questions are direct: who is called Adikavi or Mahakavi, who wrote a famous book, who was the first martyr, or which person is a national hero. Learn the table above well, because one or two marks from this topic come in almost every GK paper.
📌 Key points to remember
- Gautam Buddha, Janak, Sita, Araniko, Prithvi Narayan Shah, Bhanubhakta and Bhimsen Thapa are honoured as national heroes.
- Araniko built the White Stupa in Beijing.
- Adikavi: Bhanubhakta; Mahakavi: Devkota (Muna Madan); Kavi Shiromani: Lekhnath Paudyal.
- Natyasamrat: Balkrishna Sama; Yugkavi: Siddhicharan Shrestha; Rastrakavi: Madhav Prasad Ghimire.
- Guru Prasad Mainali: father of the Nepali short story; Parijat: Shirish ko Phool.
- Shankhadhar Sakhwa started Nepal Sambat.
- First martyr: Lakhan Thapa Magar.
- Four martyrs of 1997 BS: Shukraraj Shastri, Dharma Bhakta Mathema, Gangalal Shrestha, Dasharath Chand.
📝 Quiz
Test yourself: Famous Personalities of Nepal
Practise National heroes (Rastriya Bibhuti), Writers and other figures and Tips to remember with 50 questions. Each attempt picks 25 at random.
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Reference sources: National heroes of Nepal. Facts checked: 20 October 2026.