She observed that many children appeared distracted during prayers, their minds restless. Instead of reprimanding them, Shalini saw an opportunity to steady their thoughts, prepare them for the day ahead, and gently introduce them to the wisdom of the Gita. She began setting shlokas to simple tunes and explaining their meaning in everyday language. The response surprised even her. “The children started enjoying it,” she says. “Now, even when it isn’t my period, they ask me to come and sing a song or a shloka with them.”Her own faith in music was shaped long before the viral video. Shalini recalls a deeply personal moment from her youth. “When I observed Chhath for the first time, before marriage, I was standing in the water on the fourth day of the fast-shivering with cold and weakness,” she says. “With folded hands, I prayed to Chhathi Maiya that if I could build a good career through music, if I could be recognised for it someday. It was a vague, quiet prayer. But I feel God listened.”
The journey, however, was far from easy. Her father, a retired teacher from Saraswati Vidya Mandir in Khalari, Ranchi, had a deep love for music and often sang bhajans at jagarans. Young Shalini would accompany him. “We were three sisters, and my parents were often mocked for not having a son,” she recalls. “When my father took me to jagarans, people would raise their eyebrows. He was treated with disrespect. Small towns can be unkind.” Whenever she felt hurt, her father would quietly remind her to ignore the noise and focus on her art.
Today, Shalini explains the Gita to her students through relatable examples. “I tell them, when you sit down to study and your mind wanders to the TV or mobile games, that is your mind slipping out of control,” she says. “Would you allow any other part of your body to behave like that? Or would you want to master it?” Through such conversations, abstract philosophy becomes lived wisdom.Her husband, Apurv Sumant, a social science teacher at the same school, manages her Instagram account and remains her strongest support. The recognition has followed naturally. “We received a call from Banaras Hindu University informing us that Shalini would be honoured with the Madan Mohan Malviya Award,” he says, as she listens with the same quiet disbelief that marked her first brush with fame. Supported by her husband, in-laws, school, and principal, Shalini remains rooted. Her goal is unchanged-to share the deep knowledge of religion and mythology with the younger generation in such a way that it is easily understandable and relatable to the young minds.Shalini Singh’s story is not just about viral fame; it is about faith, perseverance, and purpose. It is a reminder that when talent is guided by sincerity and service, it finds its way, sometimes quietly, sometimes suddenly, but always meaningfully.
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