Warangal Woman Trains 400 Students in Mandala Art for Stress Relief
Mytreyi was also the only woman artist from Telangana shortlisted as a finalist for the National Award 2023 in the painting category
WARANGAL: Warangal-based artist Gunda Mytreyi, who was diagnosed with Bell’s Palsy in 2014, has turned to Mandala art both as a personal healing practice and as a platform to help others cope with stress through art therapy.
Mytreyi said the neurological condition, which paralysed the right side of her face and affected movement in her eye and mouth, followed a period of prolonged mental stress. “If the body falls ill, we take medicine; when the mind is burdened, we must heal by transforming ourselves from within,” she said. “I had a supportive husband and happy children, yet an unexplained stress slowly weighed me down. When I was diagnosed with Bell’s Palsy, I felt as though my life had come to an end and could not understand why it had happened to me.”
After finding only partial relief through conventional medical treatment, she began exploring alternative approaches and discovered Mandala art, a practice centred on creating symmetrical geometric designs around a central point. The process, she said, required intense concentration and functioned as a meditative exercise.
Following nearly ten months of practice, Mytreyi said she experienced significant improvement in her condition. What began as drawings on paper later expanded to larger canvases and MDF boards, drawing the attention of art enthusiasts and officials at Shilparamam.
Since 2022, she has been conducting free weekend Mandala art sessions at Shilparamam, primarily aimed at IT professionals and women dealing with high-pressure work and family environments.
Over the past three years, she has trained around 400 students, several of whom have taken up Mandala art as a part-time profession.
“Many people come to me struggling with insomnia and anxiety. I tell them this art works like medicine for the soul. Seeing nearly 400 of my students find inner peace is the greatest reward I could ask for,” she said.
Mytreyi was also the only woman artist from Telangana shortlisted as a finalist for the National Award 2023 in the painting category.
In March last year, her work was displayed during the ‘Vividhta ka Amrit Mahotsav’ programme at Rashtrapati Bhavan, where President Droupadi Murmu inspected the paintings and one of Mytreyi’s works was later selected for display at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Art Gallery.
Mytreyi said she intends to continue promoting Mandala art as a stress-relief practice while encouraging more people, particularly women and professionals, to take up the form. “My goal is to reach as many people as possible and ensure that the legacy of this healing art continues to thrive for future generations,” she said.
