Bengaluru buzzes with fresh ideas at Manotsava, the national mental health festival organized by Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies, Nimhans, and NCBS. On the opening day, experts painted a vivid picture of how the old saying “it takes a village to raise a child” is changing in today’s fast-moving world. The traditional “villages” that helped mothers are now turning into vibrant virtual communities. Dr Prabha Chandra, a psychiatry head at Nimhans, revealed an eye-opener about matrescence—the rollercoaster physical and emotional changes pregnant women and new mothers face. She said, "When we conduct cognitive tests, mothers often perform worse at home than in labs." This shows how daily stress, often worsened by people around them, bites deep into their mental health. Poornima Mahindru, a clinical psychologist at The Green Oak Initiative, added spice by highlighting the tricky cultural expectations many mothers face. In cities like Bengaluru, Delhi, and Mumbai, many women live far from their families. Poornima said, "Women have to navigate the nuances of motherhood by themselves. With nobody around to validate, they also end up in dilemmas and conflicts about what they have to do, which could also lead to mental health challenges." Bright spots appear as modern mothers build their own “villages,” sometimes paid caregivers, sometimes online groups that offer warmth and wisdom. Bakul Dua from Mommy Mix Tape shared, "I don't think that many of our children are growing up with their grandparents now. But there's been a welcome change as we are choosing our own villages now, even if it's sometimes a paid village (caregivers). The communities of mothers have also gone virtual now, and they offer a lot of support and experience." Even the government is tuning in to this trend. Dr Chandra mentioned, "The Prime Minister's Office recently reached out to explore virtual interventions for communities of mothers, especially in rural areas." So, while old villages may be fading, a digital, caring village is rising to help moms handle motherhood’s challenges with new power and presence.