Jagdamba Devi was born on February 25, 1901 in a village in Madhubani, Bihar called Bhajparaul, but spent most of her life in Jitwarpur, Bihar. Although she married at a young age, she never had children, which allowed her to focus on developing her burgeoning passion for Madhubani art.

Jagdamba Devi was among a wave of other artists covered in previous issues of the Beacon who was scouted by a government official named Bhaskar Kulkarni from the All India Handicrafts Board. Amidst immense droughts in Bihar, Kulkarni saw the potential in Madhubani art as a source of money to replace lost agriculture revenue. Through this work, Jagdamba Devi helped forge a path for financial independence through art for countless women in villages across Bihar.

Jagdamba Devi was one of the first Madhubani artists to receive the Padma Shri award for art, and has had her artwork exhibited both within India and internationally. Her success paved the path for two other famous artists from Jitwarpur, Sita Devi and Baua Devi to win the Padma Shri. Jitwarpur is the only village in India to produce three female artist Padma Shri recipients, which made it an international hub for Madhubani art.