Devi, Nirupama

Devi, Nirupama (1883-1951) fiction writer, was born on 7 May 1883 at Berhampore in Murshidabad district. Her father, Nafar Chandra Bhatta, was a judicial employee. Nirupama passed her childhood at Bhagalpur. She was educated at home. She was married young but lost her husband shortly after marriage. After her premature widowhood, she applied herself to writing being inspired by her elder brother, Bibhuti Bhusan Bhatta, and sharat chandra chattopadhyay. Her stories appeared in a hand- written magazine, run by Bibhuti Bhusan and Sharat Chandra.

Nirupama Devi';s literary pseudonym was 'Srimati Devi';. Uchchh'rb'khal was her first novel. Her other works include Annap'u'r'na'r Mandir (1913), Didi (1915), A'leya (1917), Bidhilipi (1919), Shy'a'mal'i (1919), Bandhu (1921), A'mar Diary (1927), Yug'a'ntarer Kath'a (1940), Anukar's'a (1941) etc. Didi is considered to be her best novel. Her novels deal with family life. A number of the songs and poems had been written during the Swadeshi era were published in different contemporary journals. She received the 'Bhubanmohini Gold Medal'; in 1938 and 'Jagattarini Gold Medal'; in 1943 from the university of calcutta in recognition of her contribution to literature. She became a Vaishnava and spent the last days of her life in Vrindavan where she died on 7 January 1951. [Wakil Ahmed] [Ahmed, Wakil  former Vice Chancellor, National University]