# Laxmi Prasad Devkota

_Nepali poet (1909-1959)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/laxmi-prasad-devkota
Last updated: 2026-11-07

> Laxmi Prasad Devkota, was a Nepalese poet, novelist, playwright, scholar, lawyer, lecturer, and politician. Honored with the title of Mahakavi in Nepalese literature. He is regarded as one of the greatest literary figures in Nepal, and often described as a poet with a golden heart. Devkota is best known for works such as Muna Madan, Sulochana, Kunjini, Bhikhari, and Shakuntala.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 12 November 1909 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3629422#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Kathmandu ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3629422#P19))
- **Died:** 14 September 1959 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3629422#P570))
- **Place of death:** Kathmandu ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3629422#P20))
- **Citizenship:** Nepal ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3629422#P27))
- **Occupation:** poet; essayist; playwright; novelist; lyricist; short story writer ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3629422#P106))
- **Education:** Patna University ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3629422#P69))
- **Spouse:** Manadevi Chalise ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3629422#P26))

## Early life and education

- Laxmi Prasad Devkota was born on the night of Lakshmi Puja on 12 November 1909 (27 Kartik 1966 BS) to Til Madhav Devkota and Amar Rajya Lakshmi Devi in Dhobidhara, Kathmandu. ([Gorkhapatra](https://www.gorkhapatra.org.np/mag/muna.detail.php?article_id=223&cat_id=17), [The Kathmandu Post](https://kathmandupost.com/miscellaneous/2014/10/23/mahakavi-devkota-the-legend-lives-on))
- His desire to complete his master's degree was left incomplete due to his family's financial conditions. ([Gorkhapatra](https://www.gorkhapatra.org.np/gopa.detail.php?article_id=20008&cat_id=10))
- Devkota's son, Padma Devkota, is also a poet and writer and served for many years as a professor at the English Department, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu. ([The Gorkha Times](https://thegorkhatimes.com/2022/02/01/a-concocted-emotion-is-not-poetry-padma-devkota/))
- Eventually, in 1939, he was admitted to the Mental Asylum of Ranchi, India, for five months. ([Online Khabar](https://www.onlinekhabar.com/2020/09/894417))

## Career

- The 2003 film Muna Madan, which was Nepal's official entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 76th Academy Awards, was based on this poem. ([University of California, Los Angeles](https://international.ucla.edu/institute/article/6975))
- The poem describes the thematic hardships of the journey: the grief of separation, the itching of longing, and the torment of death. ([Setopati](https://www.setopati.com/art/art-activity/183642/))
- Although Kshatriya people did not practice trade for their living during those days, he had to depict it as such in order to lure the Rana rulers. ([The Record Nepal](https://www.recordnepal.com/wire/a-voice-from-the-past-speaking-to-the-present))
- Considered his magnum opus, Muna Madan has remained widely popular among the lay readers of Nepali literature; it remains the most popular Nepali book since 1936; the book was also translated into Mandarin; it was well received by China and considered successful. ([The Kathmandu Post](https://kathmandupost.com/columns/2022/04/16/the-nepali-literary-environment), [The Annapurna Express](https://theannapurnaexpress.com/news/books-in-translation-1067))
- Moreover, he translated his own epic, Shakuntala, into English and wrote several poetry, essays, plays, and epics in English. ([The Himalayan Times](https://thehimalayantimes.com/opinion/devkota-birth-centenary-who-cares-for-this-national-genius))
- Later in 1957, he was appointed as Minister of Education and Autonomous Governance under the premiership of Kunwar Inderjit Singh. ([Himal Khabarpatrika](https://www.himalkhabar.com/news/15695), [Online Khabar](https://www.onlinekhabar.com/2020/09/894417))

_Cited sentences quoted from Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Laxmi_Prasad_Devkota&oldid=1382112748), CC BY-SA 4.0._

## Questions

**When was Laxmi Prasad Devkota born?**  
Laxmi Prasad Devkota was born on 12 November 1909 in Kathmandu.

**Where did Laxmi Prasad Devkota study?**  
Laxmi Prasad Devkota was educated at Patna University.

## Related

- [Tenzing Norgay](https://diginpl.com/people/tenzing-norgay)
- [Suman Pokhrel](https://diginpl.com/people/suman-pokhrel)
- [Manisha Koirala](https://diginpl.com/people/manisha-koirala)
- [Gyanendra of Nepal](https://diginpl.com/people/gyanendra-of-nepal)
- [Birendra of Nepal](https://diginpl.com/people/birendra-of-nepal)
- [Nirmal Purja](https://diginpl.com/people/nirmal-purja)
- [Dipendra of Nepal](https://diginpl.com/people/dipendra-of-nepal)
- [Udit Narayan](https://diginpl.com/people/udit-narayan)
- [Śuddhodana](https://diginpl.com/people/suddhodana)
- [Mahendra of Nepal](https://diginpl.com/people/mahendra-of-nepal)
- [Chandra Bahadur Dangi](https://diginpl.com/people/chandra-bahadur-dangi)
- [Tribhuvan of Nepal](https://diginpl.com/people/tribhuvan-of-nepal)
- [Kathmandu](https://diginpl.com/places/kathmandu)

## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Laxmi Prasad Devkota](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laxmi_Prasad_Devkota) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikipedia (Nepali): लक्ष्मीप्रसाद देवकोटा](https://ne.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A4%B2%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A6_%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%9F%E0%A4%BE) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q3629422](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3629422) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Laxmi Prasad Devkota 3.jpg by Madan Puraskar Pustakalaya (Public domain)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Laxmi_Prasad_Devkota_3.jpg)
- [Wikipedia (English), revision used for cited facts: Laxmi Prasad Devkota](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Laxmi_Prasad_Devkota&oldid=1382112748) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Gorkhapatra: महाकवि लक्ष्मीप्रसाद देवकोटा (2022-07-27)](https://www.gorkhapatra.org.np/mag/muna.detail.php?article_id=223&cat_id=17)
- [The Kathmandu Post: Mahakavi Devkota: The legend lives on (2014-10-23)](https://kathmandupost.com/miscellaneous/2014/10/23/mahakavi-devkota-the-legend-lives-on)
- [Gorkhapatra: Poet The Great: Laxmi Prasad Devkota (2013-12-06)](https://www.gorkhapatra.org.np/gopa.detail.php?article_id=20008&cat_id=10)
- [The Gorkha Times: A Concocted Emotion Is not Poetry: Padma Devkota (2022-02-01)](https://thegorkhatimes.com/2022/02/01/a-concocted-emotion-is-not-poetry-padma-devkota/)
- [Online Khabar: दुई किताब : देवकोटाको जीवनशैली, सिकाइ र सहयोग (2020-09-06)](https://www.onlinekhabar.com/2020/09/894417)
- [University of California, Los Angeles: Nepal's Submission for Best Foreign Language Film (Academy Award) (2004-01-23)](https://international.ucla.edu/institute/article/6975)
- [Setopati: नेवारी गीतिकाव्य 'जि वया ला लछि मदुनी' बाट प्रभावित थियो देवकोटाको मुनामदन (2019-06-29)](https://www.setopati.com/art/art-activity/183642/)
- [The Record Nepal: A voice from the past speaking to the present (2018-03-07)](https://www.recordnepal.com/wire/a-voice-from-the-past-speaking-to-the-present)
- [The Kathmandu Post: The Nepali literary environment (2022-04-16)](https://kathmandupost.com/columns/2022/04/16/the-nepali-literary-environment)
- [The Annapurna Express: 'Muna Madan' in Mandarin (2019-01-04)](https://theannapurnaexpress.com/news/books-in-translation-1067)
- [The Himalayan Times: Devkota birth centenary Who cares for this national genius? (2008-10-27)](https://thehimalayantimes.com/opinion/devkota-birth-centenary-who-cares-for-this-national-genius)
- [Himal Khabarpatrika: महाकविसँगको त्यो अन्तर्वार्ता (2019-10-27)](https://www.himalkhabar.com/news/15695)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Laxmi Prasad Devkota, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Laxmi Prasad Devkota 3.jpg — Madan Puraskar Pustakalaya, Public domain.

## Cite this page

"Laxmi Prasad Devkota". DigiNepal. Last updated 7 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/laxmi-prasad-devkota. Retrieved 7 November 2026.