Sign up for week-long online Women’s Day-special series of talks that will culminate with an all-female nature walk in Sion
Renee Vyas (seated) at a previous tree appreciation session at the Maharashtra Nature Park. PIC COURTESY/RENEE VYAS
Did you know that artist Amrita Sher-Gil’s 1937 painting The Story Teller broke the record for the most expensive Indian artwork sold globally 85 years later in 2023? Or how renowned artist Raja Ravi Verma’s younger sister Mangala Bayi Thampuratti quietly painted her observations of life in Travancore in the 19th Century? We do, because we tuned in to art curator Yamini Telkar’s talk titled Women in Fine Arts; a part of a seven-lecture series organised by the India Study Center (INSTUCEN) to celebrate Women’s Day.
While Telkar’s deep-dive into the arts concluded on Sunday and is now available to view on YouTube, two sessions lined up for today and tomorrow spark our intrigue. Dr Deepalee Purandare, a Pune-based psychologist, will steer the conversation to an important intersection, shedding light on the mental health challenges faced by young women. “My generation grew up under societal pressure, and today’s women are reeling under social media pressure,” she quips. But her concern is no joke. “According to a 2019 report by the National Institute of Mental Health, women are inherently more susceptible to mental health disorders,” she reminds us.
Prachi Chitre and Dr Deepalee Purandare
During the hour-long talk, Purandare will address concerns like body image issues, modern relationship woes, and cyber bullying. “We must talk to our daughters, nieces and friends. It breaks my heart to share with you that a majority of survivors of eating disorders that I meet belong to the age group of 12 to 18 years. This can be only curbed with open, direct conversations,” she reiterates.
For mental health counsellor Prachi Chitre, who will lead a discussion tomorrow, it is another demographic that needs a spotlight — women in their adulthood dealing with a spectrum of challenges from a change in family structure to the loss of a parent, or a child moving out. “But we must ensure that these conversations don’t turn into ranting sessions. The bottom line is, what can we do to deal with these issues?” she shares.
What can they do, we ask. “It takes a woman to know one. Nothing helps a woman as much as having a women’s group or a confidante they can navigate life with,” she points out. We don’t know about life, but there’ll be enough confidantes to navigate the lush greens on the concluding day of the series. At Maharashtra Natural Park in Sion, naturalist Renee Vyas will lead an exclusive walk for women. “I’m not your typical naturalist,” she tells us, adding, “All my walks unfold through stories and songs. For instance, the last time we set out on a walk in the Park, I shared tidbits about flowering plants through Lata Mangeshkar’s popular Marathi tune, Mogra Phulala,” she reveals, before breaking into an impromptu rendition over our call; yes, she isn’t your typical naturalist.
A naturalist had once told this writer how women often suppress their thoughts in a mixed group, hence, the novelty of all-female walks. We probe Vyas for a quick fact check. “Not at all,” she exclaims. “Women have a deeper understanding of nature. We grow up learning the medicinal, culinary and ornamental value of these plants. In fact, if I could, I would invite the men to come catch a glimpse of this knowledge in action,” she signs off.
You go, girl
Talks
TILL March 8; 6.30 pm to 7.30 pm
LOG ON TO @instucen (to register); Instucen Trust on YouTube (to watch previous talks)
Walk
ON March 8; 9 am to 10.30 am
AT Maharashtra Nature Park, Sion Bandra Link Road.
LOG ON TO @instucen (to register)
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