Nepalese Photojournalist Narendra Shrestha’s Image Declared Best in World Press Photo Contest

Photojournalist Narendra Shrestha from Nepal has been awarded top honors at this year’s World Press Photo contest for his striking image of the burning Singha Durbar. The photograph vividly captures the fire that broke out during the Janajati movement at Singha Durbar, the central administrative complex of Nepal. This marks the first time in the 71-year history of the World Press Photo competition that a photo taken by a Nepalese photographer has been recognized as the best. In previous years, images capturing events in Nepal were typically shot by foreign photojournalists who received awards.

This year, the contest drew participation from 37,047 photojournalists across 141 countries. Shrestha’s photograph won first place in the ‘West Central and South Asia’ category. Selected from over 57,000 submissions, his image was deemed outstanding. Shrestha commented, “I have been dedicated to this field for 25 years continuously. Achieving success this time fills me with immense joy. Winning this contest is a great honor for any photojournalist worldwide.”

Based in the Netherlands, the non-governmental organization organizes exhibitions and various programs worldwide. Shrestha captured the awarded photograph for the European Pressphoto Agency (EPA).