As a child, Devi was "barely literate" but began painting and learning the Madhubani art form from her aunt.[2]
She married a school teacher, Krishna Kumar Das, when she was 18.[5]
In 1961, Devi left the purdah (veil) system which was prevalent at the time and created her own niche as an artist.[6] She founded a cooperative society called Mithila Hastashilp Kalakar Audyogki Sahyog Samiti, which supported the growth and development of handicrafts and artists.[6] In addition to Mithila painting, Devi was known for her expertise in clay, paper mache, sujani, and Sikki.[2] According to her family, Devi created her last painting in 2011.[2] Devi died on 4 July 2013 in a private hospital with sources citing her age at 92.[2] She was cremated with full state honours the next day.[7]
Devi was a resident of Ranti village located in Madhubani, Bihar.[6] Her daughter-in-law, Bibha Das, is also Madhubani painter, as is her sister-in-law, Karpoori Devi.[10][11] She had two daughters and three sons.[10]