Ambalika Devi

First female novelist of Nepal
Ambalika Devi
अम्बालिकादेवी
Formal portrait, c. early 20th century
Born(1894-05-20)20 May 1894
Kathmandu, Nepal
Died15 December 1936(1936-12-15) (aged 42)
Patna, British Raj
Other namePutali (Butterfly)
Occupations
  • Novelist
  • Poet
  • Writer
Notable workRajput Ramani
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1901)​
Parents
  • Ekkrishna Nepal (father)
  • Ratna Kumari (mother)

Ambalika Devi Upadhyaya,[a] (20 May 1894 – 15 December 1936), affectionately known as Putali (Butterfly), was a Nepalese novelist, poet, and writer.[1][2] She is regarded as the first female novelist of Nepal and is considered one of the pioneering figures of women's literature in Nepal.[3]

Through her literary works, she contributed to the development of early modern Nepalese literature at a time when women had very limited participation in the literary field.

Her novel Rajput Ramani, published in 1932, is recognized as one of the earliest novels written by a Nepalese woman and remains an important work in the history of Nepalese literature.

Biography

She was born on 20 May 1894 in Makhan Tole, Kathmandu, Nepal to her father Ekkrishna Nepal and her mother Ratna Kumari into a affluent Khas Brahmin family. Her father served as a Subba (officer) under the Rana regime. Her maternal grandmother, Dev Kumari Koirala was the wet nurse of King Prithvi Bir Bikram Shah. During her childhood, Ambalika Devi was affectionately known as Putali (lit. "Butterfly").

At the age of seven, she married to Ambika Prasad Upadhyaya. In accordance with the prevailing custom, her name was changed to Ambalika Devi after marriage. She then moved to her husband's home in Patna. She was educated at home by private tutors and received an English-medium education.[4]

In 1932, she published Rajput Ramani.[5] The book was completed on 1 May 1932 and published in September 1932 by General Trading Company in Varanasi. It is recognized as the first novel in the Nepali language written by a woman.

Personal life

In 1901, at the age of seven, she married the Nepalese historian Ambika Prasad Upadhyaya.[1] The couple had no children and adopted Rajeshwor, the son of Ambika Prasad Upadhyaya's younger brother, Sharada Prasad Upadhyaya as their dharmaputra (spiritual son). The adoption was performed according to Hindu rituals. Ambalika Devi died on 15 December 1936 in Patna, British Raj.[1]

Works

  • Rajput Ramani (1932)

Notes

  1. ↑ Nepali: अम्बालिकादेवी उपाध्याय

References

  1. 1 2 3 Rāṇā, Jagadīśa Śamaśera (2011). Women Writers of Nepal: Profiles and Perspective. Rajesh Rana Publications. p. 3. ISBN 978-81-8465-418-9. Archived from the original on 25 October 2021. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
  2. ↑ "यी हुन् अम्बिकाप्रसाद उपाध्याय, जसले पहिलोपटक नेपालको इतिहास लेखे". Himal Khabar (in Nepali). Archived from the original on 23 October 2021. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
  3. ↑ "नेपालीमा महिला उपन्यासकारको अवस्थिति". Samakalin Sahitya (in Nepali). Archived from the original on 25 October 2021. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
  4. ↑ "अम्बालिकादेवी Ambalika Devi". Nai Prakashan (in Nepali). Retrieved 27 March 2022.
  5. ↑ Śarmā, Nagendra (1992). Secrets of Shangri-La: An Enquiry Into the Lore, Legend and Culture of Nepal. Nirala Publications. p. 295. ISBN 978-0-7855-0215-9. Archived from the original on 25 October 2021. Retrieved 25 October 2021.

Further reading

  • "Ambalika Devi". Nai Prakashan (in Nepali). Archived from the original on 9 November 2011. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
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