Robbub at 17:19, 14 March 2026

2026-03-14T17:19:19Z

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{{short description|Award winning toilet builder in India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Kalavati Devi
| image = Kalavati Devi March 08, 2020 (cropped).jpg
| caption = Devi in March 2020
| birth_name =
| birth_date = c. {{birth year and age|1965}}
| birth_place = [[Sitapur]], [[Uttar Pradesh]], [[India]]
| death_date =
| death_place =
| death_cause =
| other_names =
| known_for = Building 4,000 toilets
| education =
| employer =
| occupation = [[Masonry|Mason]]
| spouse = Jairaj Singh
| children = Two daughters
| parents =
| relatives =
| signature =
| website =
| footnotes =
}}
'''Kalavati Devi''' (born {{circa}} 1965) is an Indian mason who became a toilet builder in [[Kanpur]]. She transformed her own community by installing a 50-seat toilet and then moved to other communities. She has helped build 4,000 toilets improving the lot particularly for women and children. In 2019 she was awarded the [[Nari Shakti Puraskar]], an award given to the women or institutions working for women empowerment

==Life==
Devi was born in the 1960s and her background is in [[Sitapur]].<ref name=ref2015>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thebetterindia.com/20031/meet-kalavati-a-mason-with-a-mission-build-toilets-sanitation/|title=Meet Kalavati, The Mason With A Mission To Build Toilets In Her Village|date=17 March 2015|website=The Better India|language=en-US|access-date=5 April 2020}}</ref> She came to Raja purwa near j k temple Kanpur when she was 14 to marry Jairaj Singh who was 18. One of her husband's jobs was to work as a floor cutter for a non-profit group called [[Shramik Bharti]].<ref name=ref2015/>

They lived in Raja Purwa [[Kanpur]] and she was disgusted by people [[open defecation|defecating in the street]]. She said it was a "living hell" and that she intended to improve the cleanliness of her area.<ref name=mag7/> Her husband was supportive and, when she decided that she was going to build toilets in her area, he went with her to meet Shramik Bharti. They were keen on the idea of building a 10–20 seat facility. Local corporations were approached and they offered to find 200,000 rupees if she could raise 100,000. She tried, and she did raise a good sum and more importantly enthusiasm for the idea. Eventually there was a 50-seat facility.<ref name=ref2015/>
[[file:Shri Ram Nath Kovind presenting the Nari Shakti Puruskar for the year 2019 to Ms. Kalavati Devi.jpg|thumb|left|President [[Ram Nath Kovind]] presenting the [[Nari Shakti Puraskar]] to her]]
She had found her role, but she wanted to do more than fund raise and organise so she decided to become a mason and Shramik Bharti found funds to assist her training.<ref name=ref2015/>

Both her husband and son-in-law died leaving her as the sole wage earner who had to provide for her daughter and two grandchildren.<ref name=mag7/> In 2015 she was working in the shanty town of Rakhi Mandi where 700 families lived without a single toilet. Devi offered to help and persuaded [[WaterAid]] to help fund some toilets. The local community were unwilling to give land or finances as they were happy with their lot and they feared that there must be a secret agenda to the offer of help.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://thelogicalindian.com/story-feed/get-inspired/kalavati-devi/|title=True Hero: Meet The Lady Mason Who Built 4000+ Toilets In Unsanitary Slums & Villages Of UP|last=Indian|first=The Logical|date=26 October 2018|website=thelogicalindian.com|language=en|access-date=9 April 2020|archive-date=1 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200401215346/https://thelogicalindian.com/story-feed/get-inspired/kalavati-devi/|url-status=dead}}</ref> This was despite the open sewers, children and adults having to defaecate in the street and anecdotal talk of assaults and a rape.<ref name=ref2015/> She went out to build the toilets having to walk some days in pouring rain for 5 km after taking two bus rides.<ref name=ref2015/>
[[File:Shri Narendra Modi with the Nari Shakti Awardees, in New Delhi on March 08, 2020.jpg|thumb|Prime Minister [[Narendra Modi]] with the Nari Shakti Awardees on [[International Women's Day]] in 2020. Devi is front, far left but one]]
On [[International Women's Day]] in 2020 she took over the Indian Prime Minister's Twitter account. She was one of what the Prime Minister nicknamed the "magnificent seven" who tweeted in his name that day.<ref name=mag7>{{Cite web|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/meet-the-7-women-achievers-who-took-over-pm-modis-social-media-accounts/7-bina-devi/slideshow/74547302.cms|title=Meet the 7 women achievers who took over PM Modi's social media accounts on Women's Day: PM Modi's 'magnificent seven'|website=The Economic Times|access-date=5 April 2020}}</ref> Seven were chosen to tweet but the awardees were [[Padala Bhudevi]], [[Bina Devi]], [[Arifa Jan]], [[Chami Murmu]], [[Nilza Wangmo]], [[Rashmi Urdhwareshe]], [[Man Kaur|Mann Kaur]], [[Kaushiki Chakroborty]], [[Avani Chaturvedi]], [[Bhawana Kanth]], [[Mohana Singh Jitarwal]], [[Bhageerathi Amma]], [[Karthyayani Amma]] and Devi.<ref>{{Cite news|last=ANI|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ani/president-to-present-nari-shakti-puraskar-to-inspirational-women-120030800216_1.html|title=President to present 'Nari Shakti Puraskar' to inspirational women|date=8 March 2020|work=Business Standard India|access-date=5 April 2020}}</ref> Her work was recognised when the President [[Ram Nath Kovind]] awarded her one of twelve [[Nari Shakti Puraskar]] awards. The awards were made on [[International Women's Day]] in New Delhi.<ref name=mag7/>

==History==
Kalavati Devi won the award as a woman mason building toilets. Another woman [[Sunita Devi (mason)|Sunita Devi]] had won the same award for similar work, the year before, for her work in [[Jharkhand]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/jharkhand/award-for-jharkhand-woman-who-took-up-a-trowel-to-turn-mason-build-toilets/cid/1685553|title=Award for woman who took up a trowel to turn mason|website=www.telegraphindia.com|language=en|access-date=26 April 2020}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Nari Shakti Puraskar}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Devi, Kalavati}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Stonemasons]]
[[Category:1965 births]]
[[Category:Water-related charities]]
[[Category:People from Sitapur district]]
[[Category:Nari Shakti Puraskar winners]]

Kalavati Devi - Revision history

Robbub at 17:19, 14 March 2026