Parvati Khan; on mission for spiritual awakening in Tihar jail

New Delhi, Nov 22: For years, she has enthralled music lovers across the country with her unique brand of pop music.

However, it is altogether a different 'avataar' of the pop diva of the nineties that hundreds of inmates of Delhi's Tihar jail encountered during the past weekend.

Before them was not the singer who had music lovers 'swinging' to her pop music in the nineties but a 'spiritual guru' seeking to bring about uplift and creating a positive feeling in their lives.

During a 'satsang' held in the Women's jail in the Tihar jail complex on Friday, Ms Parvati Khan had hundreds of inmates of the jail enthusiastically joining in as she endeavoured to infuse hope in their lives through songs like "Jyot se jyot Jagate chalo, prem ki ganga bahate chalo", "Jhulae lal" and 'Ae Maalik tere bande hum'.

Talking to UNI, Ms Parvati Khan said the 'satsang' organised in the Tihar jail premises was part of her ongoing mission to hold spiritual discourses in several jails in the country to help inmates gain inner peace and develop a positive feeling amid the tough circumstances of day-to-day life.

The pop diva said she had held similar satsangs in several jails of Maharashtra over the last couple of years.

''Such sessions of satsang helps bring out a positive attitude in the lives of these prisoners by connecting them with God,'' she said.

Many prisoners felt a sense of happiness after the 'satsang' and looked forward to more such sessions, she added.

The pop diva said holding such satsangs was a part of her mission to use the power of her music to spread the message of peace and spirituality across the world.

Ms Parvati recently embarked on her 'Vishwa Shanti Yatra' (World Peace Mission), which will take her to 'Dargahs' (holy muslim shrines), churches, gurudwaras and even prisons in India and several countries of the world in quest of her vision of a world imbued with the spirit of unity and harmony. Accompanying her on the mission are her husband, ace cinematographer Nadeem Khan and her son Jatin.

Talking to UNI about her mission, she said, Ò'through the mission I seek to reach out to one and all who passionately believe in doing a service towards the Universe, towards making the world at least conducive towards a genuine peace process.Ò' Disturbed by the mental and emotional suffering afflicting mankind through wars, religious divide and worldwide killings in the name of God, terrorism, discrimination, injustice and exploitation, Ms Parvati has taken upon herself the task of propogating, through her bhajans, talks and poetry, her vision of world harmony, non-violence, cultural integration, love, compassion and humanity.

Ñ'The real purpose of the mission is to awaken the real humanity in us and awaken the sleeping conscience, through music and poetry,Ò'she said.

UNI husiastically joining in as she endeavoured to infuse hope in their lives through songs like