Devaki Nandan Khatri (1861-1913) was an Indian writer, who belonged to the first generation of popular novelists in the modern Hindi

Hindi

Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...

 language. Also known as Babu Devakinandan Khatri, he was the first author of mystery novels in Hindi

Hindi

Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...

. Chandrakanta

Chandrakanta (novel)

Chandrakanta is a popular Hindi novel by Devaki Nandan Khatri. It is considered to be the first work of prose in the modern Hindi language, and may have significantly contributed to the language's popularity...

is the most popular of his works.

Biography

Khatri was born at Samastipur

Samastipur

Samastipur is a city and a municipality in Samastipur district in the Indian state of Bihar. It is headquarters of the Samastipur district.It is situated on the banks of Burhi Gandak River.-Demographics:...

, Bihar

Bihar

Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....

. After his earlier education he moved to Tekari

Tekari

Tekari is a city and a municipality in Gaya district in the Indian state of Bihar and was the centre of erstwhile Tekari Raj. Maharaja Gopalsaran, a Bhumihar Brahmin, was the king of this area in British times. The fort is still there...

 Estate in Gaya

Gaya, India

Gaya is the second largest city of Bihar, India, and it is also the headquarters of Gaya District.Gaya is 100 kilometers south of Patna, the capital city of Bihar. Situated on the banks of Falgu River , it is a place sanctified by both the Hindu and the Buddhist religions...

. He became an employee of the Raja of Benares. He started a printing press

Printing press

A printing press is a device for applying pressure to an inked surface resting upon a print medium , thereby transferring the ink...

 called "Lahari" and started a Hindi monthly, "Sudarshan", in 1898. The various works of Khatri and his son Durga Prasad were republished by Lahari Press in the early 21st century.

Khatri made a strong contribution to the learning of the Hindi language by the people of the times. People were so mesmerised by the works Chandrakanta, Chandrakanta Santiti and Bhootnath that they started to learn Hindi just to be able to read the works. Khatri did not write any work at one go and then publish the same. He used to write "bayaans" - chapters - on the run from the British and these were published and distributed widely. People would await the new "bayaans" and congregate around those who could read Hindi to hear the latest exploits in the continuing saga.

Khatri had a home called Khatri Haveli in Ramapura

Ramapura

Ramapura is a village in the southern state of Karnataka, India. It is located in the Kollegal taluk of Chamarajanagar district in Karnataka.-Demographics:As of 2001 India census, Ramapura had a population of 5807 with 2983 males and 2824 females....

, Varanasi. He was living in Musakhand area when he was writing Chandrakanta.

Works

• Chandrakanta
  Chandrakanta (novel)
  Chandrakanta is a popular Hindi novel by Devaki Nandan Khatri. It is considered to be the first work of prose in the modern Hindi language, and may have significantly contributed to the language's popularity...
  
  
• Chandrakanta Santati
• Kajar ki Kothari
• Narendra-Mohini
• Kusum Kumari
• Virendra Veer
• Gupt Godna
• Katora Bhar Khoon
• Bhootnath (incomplete; completed by his son, Durga Prasad Khatri, who also wrote the concluding volumes of Bhootnath saga as Rohtasmath)