“Think girls can’t be warriors? Think again.”
That’s the spirit with which M.S. Divyasri, a 21-year-old Kalari instructor from Delhi, is changing the game. While most girls her age are exploring college life or office jobs, she is wielding swords and dedicating herself to training a new generation in India’s oldest martial art: Kalaripayattu.
But her journey didn’t begin in her twenties. It started long before, when she was just a child with a calling.
An inspiration from parents
When Divyasri was only 4 years old, she chose discipline and devotion over dolls. Finding inspiration in her parents, both Kalaripayattu practitioners and instructors, Divyasri found herself drawn to devotion.
Growing Up in a Kalari Family
Her family’s academy, Nithya Chaithanya Kalari, became her playground. But instead of swings, there were wooden staffs. Instead of fairy tales, there were warrior legends. And instead of fear, there was fire, to learn and to preserve an art form that has stood the test of time.
Kalari in her blood
Kalaripayattu is an Indian martial art that originated during the 3rd century BCE. It is believed to be one of the oldest fighting systems in the world, which blends combat, movement, mindfulness, and healing.
Divyasri grew up watching her parents teach this art form with love and precision. Their journey from Kerala to Delhi wasn’t easy. Spreading Kalaripayattu in Northern India meant overcoming skepticism, cultural barriers, and a lack of awareness. But slowly and steadily, their academy grew, and with it, so did their dream. Now, 30 years later, their Kalari legacy echoes across the nation.
The New face of an ancient art
Divyasri has found her passion in Kalaripayattu. She has become the new face of an ancient art. At her academy, you’ll find not just fighters, but families who are keen on learning the art.
The energy that the art form brings with it is fresh, fierce, and extremely relevant today. It teaches confidence to walk through the world, mental focus to deal with everyday stress and anxiety, physical strength to feel grounded and above all, a sense of belonging in a space that respects tradition.
Her mission for Kalaripayattu
From local demonstrations to digital workshops, from school kids to corporate professionals, the reach of Divyasri’s work is expanding fast. She’s showing the world what Indian martial arts are truly capable of, and that strength doesn’t come from muscles alone. It comes from discipline, heart, and culture.
Her academy has become a training center and a safe space for all those where a warrior wants to be born. Divyasri’s story reminds us that tradition isn’t something you leave behind; it’s something to always carry forward. And with people like her leading the way, ancient Indian arts are evolving and thriving.
So, the next time you think of strength, think of a 21-year-old from Delhi, a young Kalaripayattu instructor, journalist by profession, and an aspiring graphic designer, who is building warriors for the future. Because warriors aren’t born. They’re trained, and thanks to Divyasri, they are rising, right here, in India.
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