Shiva Shankar Manandhar is highly reputed singer, music composer of Nepali songs (Nepalese songs) and the first ever "hero" of Nepalese movie. For nearly a half century beginning from 1950 to late 1990, his name has probably been mentioned more often in books, journals, lectures and conversations about Nepalese music than any other musician.

Singing and composing music for songs of love, tragedy, devotional (bhajan) and patriotism, he pioneered many of the genres of the modern Nepali songs. He has composed music for around 1,200 Nepalese songs. He himself sang about three hundreds of heart rending songs. For these contributions Shiva Shankar was bestowed with dozens of prestigious national awards.

Shiva Shankar was recruited to the service of the state-owned Radio Nepal in 1951 by Bal Krishna Sama, the pre-eminent playwrite of Nepal. Soon he was assigned with duty to explore and mentor new musical talents, supervise, and quality control the songs being recorded in the studio for radio broadcast. Together with his colleague Nati Kaji, he made the Radio Nepal as an institution for breeding modern Nepalese music and songs. All Nepalese singers and musicians of the latter half of the twentieth century came into prominence through this institution. The Radio Nepal fostered not only the in-country musical talents, but also motivated several prodigious musicians of Darjeeling (India), to blossom in Nepal. They included Ambar Gurung, Gopal Yonzan, Aruna Lama and several others.

While working in the Radio Nepal, Shiva Shankar composed music for almost all prominent Nepalese singers. These included Tara Devi (singer), Mira Rana, Nirmala Shrestha, Gyanu Rana, Aruna Lama, Kunti Muktan, Ganga Malla, Puspa Nepali, Narayan Gopal, Prem Dhwoj, Yogesh Vaidhya, Udit Narayan, Dhruba KC, Manik Ratna, Deep Shrestha, Bhakta Raj, Bacchu Kailash, Rubi Joshi, Deepak Bajracharya, etc. He composed music for prominent lyricists such as Ram Man Trishit, Kiran Kharel, Bhabuk, Yadab Kharel, Laxman Lohani, MBB Shah (Mahendra of Nepal), etc. Performing prodigiously at the peak of his creativity for fifty years, he helped Nepalese music attain the summit of popularity, rightfully termed as the “Golden Age”.

Besides creating the popular moving melodies, he also experimented with innovations in Nepalese music. He demonstrated how the folk songs rendered with few simple musical instruments could be enriched with an ensemble of modern contemporary orchestra symphony. A trend of modernization with introduction of pop-style songs he started catalyzed the emergence of the present day full fledged Nepalese pop songs. Although he pioneered changes and innovation, he always advocated for preserving the unique essence of Nepalese style, so that Nepalese songs would not be overshadowed by foreign songs and music.

Shiva Shankar played the leading role of a "Lahure Dai" in the film Aama (Mother)—the first Nepali feature movie (Cinema of Nepal) produced in 1964 (2021 BS) by the Government of Nepal. However, he did not pursue acting career except for a few cameo appearances in documentaries. Nevertheless, he composed music for several movies in the early days of Nepalese film industry.

He was born to mother Ram Maya and father Man Bahadur on 22 February 1932 in a Manandhar household of the Newar community, in Pako, Newroad of Kathmandu city. Man Bahadur Manandhar was a volunteer music teacher in the local community, taught classical Newari songs to the youngsters. Shiva Shankar’s musical aspiration was probably inspired by his father’s community activity. Unfortunately his father died at very early age. He completed secondary school education, but did not pursue any formal musical education before being established as a singer and music composer. In 1974, he pursued a graduate course on the Indian Classical music from the Kalanidhi Sangeet College in Kathmandu.

He took job in the Radio Nepal in May 1951 (2007 BS) and served there for the next 42 years. This was the period of his active creative life. For forty years in a row, he composed and sang hit songs. From 1987 to 1991 (2043-2047 BS), he was deputed as the Executive Director of the Ratna Recording Corporation. He retired from Radio Nepal in 1996 (2051 BS).

The post retirement period coincided with the onset of commercialization Nepalese music. He could not adapt into the glamour of commercialization, eschewed from making commercial music. As his contemporary colleagues in music, he remained virtually silent after retirement. In 2004, he fell gravely ill with terminal stage liver cancer. He passed away on November 14, 2004.

He was married to Badri Kumari Manandhar at the age of twenty four and has three sons: Gaurishankar, Rabi Shankar and Shashi Shankar. None of them followed career in music. Badri Kumari supported the family economically by running a family business. She passed away in September 1998.

Recognitions and Honors
• Nepal Motion Picture Artists Union – 2050
• Sadhana Samman by the Shadhana Art Foundation – 2054
• Radio Nepal – 2055
• Golden Jubilee Samman of Radio Nepal – 2056
• Nepal Samman by the Sagarmatha Academy – 2057
• Kathmandu Municipality Ward 13 – 2057
• Ahwan Organization 2057
• Mahadev Samman by the Keshav-Sushma Bhajan Guthi – 2058
• Nepal Motion Picture Artists Union – 2058
• Mahendra Memorial Committee 2058
• Kamal English Boarding School 2059
• Radio Nepal - 2059
• Harati Samman – 2060
• Central Committee of Manandhar Union – 2061
• World Peace Bhagbat Bhajanashram – 2061
• Sangeet Sadhak Samman by the Nepal Sanskritik Sangh

Memorable songs composed by him

Song by himself
• Yo kholako dhamilo pani – His first recorded song
• Nadi kinar macha marda
• Ma mare pani mero desh
• Bhakhai mildaina
• Mero lagi khushi kahileyi
• Keho timro nau
• Bityo bityo bityo
• Mera aghika kalpana
• Barsau bitaye ma pharki aye
• Andhi bicham parna gayechu
• Kure kure ayenau
• Mero jiban sathi
• Om namo shibaya (Devotional)
• Mukuta bihari (Devotional)
• He raghu nandana (Devotional)

Song by various singers
• Dilma hajur ayera (Tara Devi (singer))
• Himalako kakhama (Tara Devi)
• Lanai lagyo pachewura yo (Tara Devi)
• Badala jastai komal chu ma (Tara Devi)
• Nausaya khola (Tara Devi)
• Yek phool jharera (Tara Devi)
• Bhana yaha hajarauma (Nirmala Shrestha)
• Dui yekan dui (Mira Rana)
• Piratiko bishalu kanda (Pushpa Nepali)
• Kasto ajeeb milana yo (Rubi Joshi)
• Balla balla bheta (Udit Narayan)
• Timi sundar chau (Udit Narayan)
• Mancheko maya (Narayan Gopal/Gyanu Rana)
• Ama timilai (Narayan Gopal)
• Malai metana dewu (Bhakta Raj)
• Janina deha paile (Bhakta Raj)
• Timro maya kagajko (Dhruba KC)
• Jiwudai marne (Dhruba KC)
• Sagar ho swasni manche (Manik Ratna)
• Wunle ta pahileyi ishara (Manik Ratna)
• Timi ayewu kagajko (Prem Dhwoj)

Broadway (Geeti Natak) and Albums of Situational Songs
• Ashirbad (Farewell to Bride). Lyrics: Laxman Lohani
• Nalapanima (Battle at the Nalapani Fort). Lyrics: Bal Krishna Sama
• Parikshya (Ordeal). Lyrics: Tulsi Dibas (?)
• Swongu Nagu (Three Stars). Lyrics: Durga Lal Shrestha
• Sulochana (Based on an Epic Poem). Lyrics: Shyam Das Vaishnav (Not Staged)

Filmography
• Manko Bandh (with Nati Kaji)
• Kumari (with Chandra Raj)
• Pachis Basanta (with Nati Kaji)
• Shanti Deep (with Nati Kaji)