Artistic Ode to Women’s Mental Health

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Anuja Mishra Bajoria lost her mother Sadhana Mishra, a socially active English Literature professor at Delhi University, in 1996. Sadhana, who was suffering from chronic depression, committed suicide, and thus ended, rather prematurely, a remarkably poignant and impactful life.

At the time of this tragic loss, Anuja was just fourteen. For decades, she suffered the after-effects of this horrific tragedy. Only recently, when Anuja decided to seek therapy and counselling that she had an epiphany. In a relatively short duration, she could feel the transformative impact of Mental Health help.

Anuja and her husband Kartik, a Jaipur-based writer and education couple have now made it their mission to propagate the vital importance of mental wellbeing, particularly for women.

The couple, in close conjunction with Jaipur-based art curator Hem Rana, will be staging Driveway Devi, a one-day Art Show on 18 December at their home in Jaipur. Politicians, artists, students, mental health practitioners are all contributing to this groundswell of ‘open therapy talk’. For the Art Show, artists from Jaipur and across the country are sending in their work. All the proceeds from the sales will be invested in Women’s mental health. In the lead-up to this event, there is a social media campaign currently underway. Women from all walks of life, diverse ages and backgrounds, are sharing their mental health stories through videos and interviews on the couples’ social media accounts.

The couple has also tied up with the Founder of Indian Women Blog (IWB), Anastassiya Savchenko, who does tremendous work with rural communities through the social-work arm of the IWB called Indian Women Impact. They are collaborating to organize mental wellbeing activities and mental-health help for marginalized girls and women.