Śrēṣṭha () is a
Nepali surname, which means "most excellent” or "great” in
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...
. It is one of the
eponym
An eponym is a noun after which or for which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. Adjectives derived from the word ''eponym'' include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''.
Eponyms are commonly used for time periods, places, innovati ...
surnames used by those belonging to the caste of
Shresthas who own Bogati and Damais and are at the epitome of status prior to the unification of modern Nepal formed the ruling and administrative castes in the court of the
Malla kings of Nepal. They also counted among them the trading and business castes, and were the
pre-eminent traders in between Nepal and
Tibet
Tibet (; ''Böd''; ), or Greater Tibet, is a region in the western part of East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are other ethnic groups s ...
. After the unification of Nepal, Shresthas took up business and trading since their former positions as administrators and courtiers of the royal
Malla court was supplanted by the invading
Gorkha forces mainly of the
Khas
Khas peoples or Khas Tribes, (; ) popularly known as Khashiya are an Indo-Aryan ethno-linguistic group native to the Himalayan region of the Indian subcontinent, in what is now the South Asian country of Nepal, as well as the Indian stat ...
tribe.
[ Page 86.]
Background
The word "Shrestha" was derived from Sanskrit term ''Shista'' meaning 'noble' or 'decent'. "Syasya" also means 'warrior' in
Nepal Bhasa
Newar (; , ) is a Sino-Tibetan language spoken by the Newar people, the indigenous inhabitants of Nepal Mandala, which consists of the Kathmandu Valley and surrounding regions in Nepal. The language is known officially in Nepal as Nepal Bhas ...
. Shresthas (or Syasya) served as administrators and courtiers during the rule of the Malla Newar kings that ruled Nepal for six hundred years – known as the "Golden Era" of Nepal – when much of the cultural and architectural development of Nepal took place. They took a prominent role in the governance and administration of the nation and fought against the
Gorkha invasion. They also contributed to protect their country Nepal from external powers like the
Mughal.
Notable people
Politics and civil administration
*
Ganga Lal Shrestha – Politician, One of the four famous Martyr of Nepal
*
Gopal Man Shrestha – Politician, Deputy Prime Minister 2017-18
*
Krishna Mohan Shrestha – First Inspector General of Armed Police Force (Nepal)
*
Marich Man Singh Shrestha – Prime Minister of Nepal, 1986–90
*
Narayan Kaji Shrestha – Politician, Deputy Prime Minister, 2011–12
*
Krishna Kumar Shrestha – Politician, Member of the House of Representatives
Arts, literature and culture
*
Siddhicharan Shrestha – "Yuga Kavi", one of the most prominent literary figures of Nepal
*
Rakesh Shrestha – football player
*
Durga Lal Shrestha – Poet, lyricist
*
Ganesh Lal Shrestha – Poet, lyricist
*
Jagat Lal Shrestha – Educator, author
*
Madan Krishna Shrestha – Comedian, actor, singer
*
Shiva Shrestha – Actor
*
Shree Krishna Shrestha – Actor
*
Namrata Shrestha – Actress, model
*
Sushma Shrestha
Poornima Shrestha (born 6 September 1960 as Sushma Shrestha) is an Indian playback singer. Starting as a child artist, she became a leading playback singer in Bollywood during the 1990s.
Early life
Hailing from the Newar community from Nep ...
– known by stage name "Poornima", Bollywood singer
*
Shristi Shrestha
Shristi Shrestha (, ) is a Nepalese actress, model and beauty pageant titleholder who the winner of the Miss Nepal 2012 pageant.
Career
Pageants
Shrestha represented her home district of Chitwan District, Chitwan during the Miss Nepal 2012 ...
–
Miss Nepal World 2012
*
Ishani Shrestha –
Miss Nepal World 2013
*
Asmi Shrestha –
Miss Nepal World 2016
*
Anushka Shrestha –
Miss Nepal World 2019
Others
*
Nani Kaji Shrestha, also known as Bauddha Rishi Mahapragya, well known in the revival of Nepali Theravada Buddhism in the 1920s
*
Bishnu Shrestha – Nepali soldier in Indian Army
*
Purnima Shrestha, Nepalese mountaineer and photojournalist
*Anurup Shrestha, Future COAS Nepali Army
*Raj Shrestha, Nepalese cricketer
*Nabin Shrestha, Nepalese professional IT specialist
References
{{surname
Newar
Newar caste system
People from Kathmandu
Social groups of Nepal
Newari-language surnames
Surnames of Nepalese origin