Locked in the auditorium of Gujarati Seva Mandal, Secunderabad, 600 people cried their hearts out on Sunday morning. After a brief spell of tears, each turned to the other and smiled, relieved that their burdens were lifted.
First in Telangana
The crying exercise, organised by the Always be Cheerful Laughter and Crying Club of Hyderabad, was the first such performed in Telangana.
Starting this month, the mass public crying will be performed by the club members and supporters at least once a month, the organisers announced on Sunday.
While laughter clubs have been popular in India since the 1990s, the first crying club with over 500 people was established in 2017 in Surat, and the second in Hyderabad, the organisers said. Kamlesh Masalawala, founding member of the Surat club, who also inaugurated the crying exercise in Secunderabad, told The Hindu , “Laughter clubs work on the principle that even the smallest events of happiness should be celebrated. As disappointments are part and parcel of life we decided to include a collective crying exercise for people to unburden themselves.”
The open grieving event kicked off after five minutes of meditative silence. Participants were then asked to remember their grief — be it the demise of a loved one or a simple office squabble. Within minutes, 20 leading members of the congregation started whimpering. The mood soon engulfed the gathering with each member tearing up or wailing. After they let out their grief, the crowd contemplated on their lives for another five minutes.
Health benefits
“Soon after, I felt unburdened and light. The experience was out of the world,” said Sathyaraj, a member. According to physicians, crying is a therapeutic ritual which also has other health benefits. Ophthalmologist and Padma Shri award winner A. Saibaba Goud, present at the gathering, said, “Crying clears not just the mind but also one’s eyes and tear ducts. It is better than using eye drops. I have been advising people to cry at least once a month.” The crowd — mostly between 35 and 50 years — also had 30 physicians, all of whom recommended the exercise.
According to psychologists, collective venting of grief helps people accept their misgivings and losses.
