Get ready for your Balam Pichkari moment

HERE'S something about Holi that feels straight out of a Bollywood dream sequence.

- DIYA MARIA GEORGE

PAINT. Fire. Prayer. Silence. A man, painted in patterns, steps forward — not as himself, but as a god. This is Theyyam, where devotion and art merge, carrying the burdens of his people.

Grief. Breath. Rhythm. Release. Women gather for Oppari, their voices rising, shaping sorrow into song. If Theyyam is the voice of gods, Oppari is the voice of grief. Grief does not arrive in silence here. It is shaped into poetry, and passed through generations.

But beyond spectacle and song, what do these rituals truly do? To practise, to perform, to mourn together — these are not just traditions but tools, shaping sorrow, steadying hearts, stitching the unseen wounds of the mind. Healing, not just through medicine, but through movement, memory, and meaning.

Cristine Legare, a professor of psychology at the University of Texas at Austin, believes ritual is not just a relic of the past but an active force in well-being. The founder and director of the Center for Applied Cognitive Science (CACS), she studies the role of ritual in emotional resilience, public health, and behavioural change. Ahead of her lecture as part of the BALM Sundram Fasteners Lecture Series at Savera Hotel, she delves into the topic

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In many cultures, rituals help communities cope with uncertainty and distress. How do you see rituals contributing to emotional resilience and psychological well-being?

Rituals, whether they involve prayer, meditation, or collective actions, are remarkably effective at reducing anxiety. They provide a sense of control and predictability, which is psychologically comforting. By offering socially sanctioned behaviours, rituals are authorised by the community, making their intentional practice a powerful tool for managing uncertainty.