5 days ago
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The thought of Swaira Vachanam is hard to construe verbatim but it implies words of comfortableness oregon solace, it is the sanction of a intelligence wellness inaugural to assistance Kathakali artistes and their families. “Kathakali artistes acquisition immense stress, unit and intelligence strain, each of which affects them, their lives and craft. This is an effort to beryllium determination for artists who request help,” says Nisha Menon Chembakassery, a Kathakali aficionado with adjacent ties with artistes and 1 of the radical down the endeavour.
The others who are portion of Swaira Vachanam are Akavoor Santhosh, a doc astatine Kottakal Arya Vaidyasala; Archaa Gowri Varma, psychiatric societal idiosyncratic and Kathakali artist; Kalamandalam (Vaikom) Prashanth, Kathakali artiste, teacher astatine Kalakshetra and the State President of the Kathakali Artists’ Association, and Dr. Sanju Palassery, aficionado and a subordinate of Kerala Health Services.
Founded successful December 2025, it aims to supply a enactment strategy for Kathakali artistes struggling with intelligence wellness issues. “We are driven by the content that we are each portion of the wider, broader Kathakali family, wherever we request to instrumentality attraction of each other. Sometimes each radical request is simply a diligent ear, an empathetic listener. And this is simply a non-judgemental abstraction wherever we defender their confidentiality precise fiercely, occasionally keeping the name/identity of the idiosyncratic who has sought our assistance adjacent from different sheet members,” adds Nisha.
Archaa says that the intelligence wellness issues are usually loneliness oregon depression, successful varying degrees of intensity. “There are immoderate cases that lone request handholding, and past determination person been others that necessitate aesculapian intervention. In specified cases, we urge aesculapian practitioners. We person seen betterment successful cases wherever radical person attended counselling and are feeling better.” Though it is simply a adjacent knit community, knowing idiosyncratic is struggling doesn’t ever mean knowing however to assistance oregon the benignant of assistance they would need, she adds.
Support system
Although formed six months ago, the caller passing of celebrated Kathakali artiste and teacher Kalamandalam Hari R Nair has been a daze to the close-knit assemblage of Kathakali artistes. The renowned artiste’s decease drove location the request for a enactment strategy for a assemblage which comes with its acceptable of pressures that scope from thing arsenic elemental arsenic anxiousness earlier a show to the hold for recognition.
“His passing reminded america that determination are galore of america retired determination who request help. We possibly facing problems that marque beingness challenging and immoderate assistance would spell a agelong mode successful making them consciousness better,” says Kalamandalam Prashanth. As the President of Kathakali Artistes’ Association, helium knows astir practitioners successful the State, giving him entree arsenic a acquainted look and arsenic idiosyncratic anyone tin scope retired to.
“Like each professions travel with their challenges, Kathakali comes with its unsocial acceptable of trials similar not getting capable slumber owed to the travelling and programmes, arsenic a effect not being capable to instrumentality attraction of their families. The stresses are a effect of these factors, mostly. They mightiness not beryllium capable to header with it; a mates of Kathakali artistes shared their concerns with america also. Nisha contacted me, suggesting a radical that would connection solace to artistes struggling with stress, anxiousness and intelligence wellness issues,” says Prashanth. He adds that often a idiosyncratic who is struggling does not cognize however to woody with specified issues. The beingness of doctors successful the radical ensures aesculapian support, if needed.
The representatives of the Kathakali Artistes’ Association successful each territory person been entrusted with the work of keeping way of immoderate artiste who mightiness beryllium successful request of assistance and succour.
