# Ambalika Devi

_Nepalese poet and writer (1894-1936)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/ambalika-devi
Last updated: 2026-10-31

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

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 20 May 1894 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q109247727#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Kathmandu ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q109247727#P19))
- **Died:** 15 December 1936 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q109247727#P570))
- **Place of death:** Patna ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q109247727#P20))
- **Citizenship:** Nepal ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q109247727#P27))
- **Occupation:** writer ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q109247727#P106))
- **Spouse:** Ambika Prasad Upadhyaya ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q109247727#P26))

## About

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.

## Questions

**When was Ambalika Devi born?**  
Ambalika Devi was born on 20 May 1894 in Kathmandu.

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- [Kathmandu](https://diginpl.com/places/kathmandu)

## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Ambalika Devi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambalika_Devi) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikipedia (Nepali): अम्बालिकादेवी](https://ne.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AC%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B2%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%BE_%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%B5%E0%A5%80) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q109247727](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q109247727) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Ambalika Devi.jpg by Madan Puraskar Pustakalaya (Public domain)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ambalika_Devi.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Ambalika Devi, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Ambalika Devi.jpg — Madan Puraskar Pustakalaya, Public domain.

## Cite this page

"Ambalika Devi". DigiNepal. Last updated 31 October 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/ambalika-devi. Retrieved 4 November 2026.