TIMES Music has presented music dedicated to various deities and also to coincide with various occasions. It takes the tradition to a new high with this album.

The belief in Indian mythology is that the child in the womb adopts impressions from its surroundings and the behaviour of its mother to start its learning process. That is how Abhimanyu is supposed to have learnt the technique of entering the chakravyuha which was being narrated to his mother Subhadra by Arjuna.

With that end in view, this cassette recites certain selected hymns from Vedas and other religious texts, with the hope that the child will be born with good health, intelligence and love.

While Amitabh Bachchan gives a message to the baby in the womb, Dr Balaji Tambe and others recite the mantras. Dr Tambe, an engineer and ayurvedic doctor, is the founder of "Atmasantulana village", a renowned ayurvedic medical centre. Besides reciting some of the mantras, he has also composed the music. Vocals have also been contributed by Sanjeev Abhyankar, Sant Baba Ramasinghji Maharaj and Madhuri Karmarkar.

While the Atharva Veda mantra is for healthy development of all parts of the body and to offer a prosperous and peaceful life, the Yajur Veda mantra gives blessings for a hundred years of life and for good vision, speech and other faculties.

There are special mantras for each month of pregnancy, prayers to the gods of different energies for the protection of the child in the womb and the mother from different disorders, diseases and malefic influences.

Special mantras from the second chapter of Bhagavadgita and music based on Raga Shankra seek that the child should develop the qualities of bravery and leadership, and the strength to face any situation in life. Singing the universal sound Aum and mantras for the five elements (earth, water, fire, air and space) is supposed to be suitable for the development of the body and all the energy centres (chakras).

Also included is a beautiful composition written by Adi Shankaracharya, reminding the soul of its true nature and a holy verse from the Gurbani of Guru Nanak Dev.

In its latest venture, Music Today has joined hands with BBC World Service Trust in the battle against AIDS to bring out this album. It features nine superhit tracks by top artistes, including Euphoria, Shaan, Shubha Mudgal, Indian Ocean, Bombay Vikings, Mrigya, Alms for Shanti and the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.

It also includes the latest track by Silk Route called Lau as the title track of the album.

All the profit from Lau will go towards raising funds for the charities fighting the deadly virus. Lau is part of a television programme, Haath Se Haath Mila, which in turn is part of their AIDS awareness programme.