Biography of Hari Narayana Apte

(1864-1919)

Hari Narayana Apte was a famous Marathi novelist. He was born in 1864 in Maharashtra. At the age of four he lost his mother and after that his uncle Mahadev Chimanagi Apte looked after him.

He was taught by famous teachers like Vishnu Shastri Chiplunkar, Tilak, Agarkar and Dr. Bhandarkar. He was very weak in mathematics and therefore he could not get the degree from the college.

Hari Narayana Apte was married very early in his life. He started teaching his wife against the wishes of his family and society. He was a firm believer in women's education and widow remarriage. He opened many educational institutions and also gave scholarships to students.

Hari Narayana Apte's fascination for writing developed during his student life. "Shishyajan Vilap' was his first work, on which he worked after the death of his beloved teacher Vishnu Shastri Chiplunkar. He wrote his first novel "Madhali Sthiti' during college life. He wrote almost 8 social novels and 10 historical novels. He died in 1919 in Poona.