Kajal Srivastava is a leading Kalaripayattu martial artist and the founder of the Tavasi Movement, an initiative in Noida that helps with social welfare. She is a disciple of Guru Shinto Mathew at Kalari Kendram in Delhi, using Kalaripayattu to inspire strength and empowerment in people. After trying six times for the UPSC exams, Kajal started the Swadeshi SportsWear brand, which promotes clothes made from natural fibers and traditional fitness values. Her journey shows her strength, determination, and commitment to uplifting her community.
In an engaging interview, Kajal Srivastava, a dedicated practitioner of Kalaripayattu and a champion of social change, shares her insights and experiences, illuminating the transformative power of this ancient martial art.
Question– Can you share the story of how you transformed from an ordinary person into someone who inspires millions? What key moments shaped your path?
Answer– I am an ordinary person with just a little extra courage to take leaps and risks. From the beginning itself, while I was growing up I had the feeling that I’m born to do something big, all experiences that I’m going through are a preparation for something that’s going to happen tomorrow. And thus I decided no matter what, I promise to grow and learn through each experience.
First during college entrances then during those ‘after college’ job interviews and then with UPSC, I failed in total 56 exams/entrance/interviews and that still didn’t make me feel like a failure, I felt this unusual courage to still keep going and that’s when I launched my movement of courage TAVASI.
Failures taught me it is just a normal reroute to your highest potential and let’s not make it a label that tags along all your life with you , this is what I started doing for living with my Kalaripayattu workshops.
I simply started normalizing failures and second chances and inculcated in people the courage to practice their freedom to life. It takes lots of strength to expose one’s experiences in public but I chose it for the bigger good to humanity. I give full credit to KALARIPAYATTU.
It’s an ancient martial art of the world, born in Kerala, India. Kalari doesn’t create fighters, it creates warriors in life. And hence it’s my aim and responsibility to conserve and spread this treasured art of India with utmost importance.
Question– You attempted the UPSC Civil Services Examination six times. What kept your spirit alive and motivated you to keep trying, even after facing so many setbacks?
Answer– It was my utmost dream to crack Upsc to become an IPS officer. I will be honest, every failure was tough, and sustaining through each consecutive year went on becoming tougher and tougher but I had a dream and I still don’t know from where I was getting that strength to keep going even after so many years.
I was certain that I would clear the exam because my mocks were going pretty amazing. Probably that’s why I kept trying. UPSC has a tendency to become much more than ambition. It becomes your whole life goal after a certain point and you tend to center around everything in your life around it.
Because year after year you’re getting more lagged behind than the outside world, more financial issue, growing age, growing pressure for earning money and getting married. So you start waiting for that one day, when your results will be out and all negativity will shut away forever. But unfortunately this day never happened for me.
UPSC also teaches you patience and self belief like nothing else because that’s your only way out for survival.
Question– During your UPSC preparation, what was the toughest part of living a minimal lifestyle? How did you cope with the financial and emotional challenges?
Answer– The toughest part was to ask for money from my parents. It was the hardest thing because both my sisters were earning well, my best friends were traveling the world and I was asking for 20 rs for milk also. It was not a good feeling.
But I used to console myself by thinking that someday I will make my parents so proud that all this will be worth it. These are the issues faced by all aspirants who drop for preparations. Since I wasn’t in touch with any of my friends and kept a limited touch with relatives . So I depended a lot on the music.
FM radio was my best friend. The inspiring shows like ‘born to be remembered’ show on akashvani AIR and old Hindi songs used to relax my anxiety and stress a lot. My favorite series that I watched on repeat was ‘udaan’ and ‘aarohan’ on DD YouTube . It actually helped me in keeping myself motivated and disciplined during low times.
I had started Kalaripayattu by my third attempt and then there was no turning point. I kept on becoming the better and better version of myself through it. It took care of all my emotional challenges very well.
Question-. What was the moment that first introduced you to Kalaripayattu? How did it feel when you discovered this ancient martial art for the first time?
Answer- I failed for the 3rd time consecutively and I was totally broken and smashed from inside but I didn’t want to give up.
So my best friends said, that they will allow me to continue further on upsc path only if I join any martial art classes (because they knew how much I love martial arts). That’s when I came across Kalaripayattu traditional Gurukul in Delhi itself.
On my first day, as I entered the arena, I felt I’ve been here all my life. It felt like home. And after the rigorous and tough session of 60 minutes, I just knew this is where I belong forever.It was magic! Everyone should experience Kalaripayattu at least once in their lifetime.
Question- Can you share specific techniques or practices within Kalaripayattu that have significantly contributed to your healing and personal growth?
Answer- Kalaripayattu is not an art of self defense, it’s an art of battlefield. And thus it prepares warriors who could sustain in a rigorous and tough environment..the training is so internal that it feels like each part of your body is working towards its healing.
It has four stages..
The stage 1 MEITHARI is translated as ‘body’ exercises. The whole artform of Kalaripayattu is based on the fighting and survival instincts of animals in their wilderness and all rules are based on laws of nature. There are 8 animals chosen by Parasurama ji, the Founder of this art on which the whole Art is based.
When you practice to walk , sit, think, and fight like those animals, it works on every marma sthanam (vital point) of your body and all the chakras of the body are activated.
Eg. Gaja Vadivu , the stance of an elephant is an unprecedented technique to attain maximum strength in the lower body and thus it heals all lower back issues, clearing all toxic energy that has a tendency to store in the lower back due to different life experiences.
And like this we have postures of SIMHA, VARAHA, SARPA, MARZARA etc.It’s a very raw and internal art that is the most urgent need in today’s world.
Question- What inspired you to start the TAVASI movement? How has it changed and grown since you first launched it?
Answer- On 23rd oct, 2020 I was sitting in my room at 2am after finishing off all the crying and sulking .
And I observed an unusual courage inside me which just didn’t want me to give up. I was shocked that even after 6 attempts and 7 years of constant rejections, I still want to go out and give myself another chance. I realized all of this internal unwavering strength and self belief is a by-product of Kalaripayattu and I immediately understood how deep this art can go inside one practitioner.
And that’s when I picked up a blank sheet of paper and wrote T A V A S I on it and turned it to write ‘my movement of courage’.
I made it my mission to spread this art via workshops, lectures and demonstrations as much as I can as in today’s time with ever increasing competition and levels of perfection everyone is going through this lack of courage to do what they want to do or not be harsh on themselves if nothing goes as per the plan, or the stress of work, relationships etc.
Kalari is a one stop solution to all of this. And I wanted everyone to experience what I experienced.
As of now, it’s going amazing.
I’ve done workshops for more than 2000 candidates from ISB Hyderabad, DRDO HQ, Indian Coast Guard HQ, BHU Banaras, and many many corporations in many slums in all corners of Delhi.
The Tavasi Movement is something which happened beyond my plan. It is even better and I didn’t know I am capable of bringing such a huge change into the world. I am only and only glad that I failed previously in everything , else I would have never found out my true potential and calling.
Question-. What dreams do you have for Kalaripayattu and the TAVASI movement in the future? How do you envision expanding their impact and reach?
Answer- My biggest dream is to see Kalaripayattu flourishing all over the world as Yoga is doing today. I want people to understand martial arts is much more than kick and slap. It is meditative and very urgent for everyone for their unparalleled fitness of mind and body. I want Kalari to be a part of schools curriculum and every corner of the country has these Indian martial arts centers and promotes indigenous form from which all the other martial arts like kung fu, karate etc have branched out.
The Tavasi Movement is just a medium and it shall continue to be one for the rest of its life. Slowly and steadily we shall reach the Govt too and get some support in this movement.
Question- How did your experience with synthetic activewear inspire you to start the Swadeshi SportsWear brand focused on natural fiber clothing?
Answer-. I am a Kalaripayattu practitioner so I have to wear workout clothes pretty much all day. And then last summer I started getting a bad rash on my left leg shin. It was very painful and took 1 year to heal. So, When I showed it to my dermatologist, he directly asked me to STOP WEARING what I was wearing then.
Then I did deep research on side effects of wearing synthetic fabrics in general, especially in climate conditions of India which is not so cold for most of the year. I was shocked to read that synthetic fabrics are so much in vogue and everyone is wearing them in gyms and workout and everywhere can actually react with skin during sweat and lead to issues like cancer , eczema, dermatitis, lung problems etc.
So I read books and found that in ancient India ‘sooti kapaas’ was used by all sports persons and warriors. So I launched SWADESI under Tavasi Movement to spread awareness amongst youth and revive the ancient Indian knowledge of wearing natural living fabrics over synthetic ones.I just made it a little fashionable and chic to make it as attractive to youngsters as the synthetic contemporaries of the same product..
Question-. What words of encouragement would you offer to UPSC aspirants or anyone facing repeated failures in their pursuits?
Answer-.
1.BELIEVE IN YOUR IDEA even if you’re the only person who believes in it.
2.Be your own savior, as no one else is coming to save you..
3.Start taking failures as a part and parcel of a grinder’s life. Anyone who dares to do something extraordinary,will surely fail as it’s a necessary step to reach your highest so take it as lightly as it originally is. You’ll see It’s a re-route to the correct path if you just believe in your efforts.
4.Give yourself chance after chance until your soul says stop and not the society’s conditioning.
5.’If what people may think of you is what is stopping you from taking risks and your soul track, then just know they are scared of the same thing too, ie, what you will think of them. Everyone is basically thinking the same. So just chill and do what you want to do. No one is bothered !
6.From my experiences I’ve learnt that if you want to start anything, just start TODAY. You’ll never be ‘perfectly’ ready.
Question-. In your opinion, what are the essential keys to achieving success? What wisdom would you share based on your journey?
Answer-. The only essential key to achieve success is to be ढीठ (stubborn) Because that’s the root of being consistent, disciplined , patient and focused no matter what.
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