Indian businessman, wife follow kids’ footsteps, donate USD 23.94 million wealth to embrace monkhood

In a job reversal, an Indian couple adopted within the footsteps of their kids to surrender materialistic wealth by donating practically INR 200 crore (USD 23.94 million) to change into monks. Bhavesh Bhandari and his vital different hail from western Indian’s Gujarat, the house state of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The couple now plan to embark on a journey of salvation, native media stories stated. The donation was made throughout a ceremony in February. They will begin their journey as monks later this month, following a ceremony, NDTV reported.

The Bhandari couple was impressed by their daughter, 19 and son, 16, who embraced monkhood in 2022. Bhavesh made his wealth by way of his building enterprise. The similar was distributed in February, because the couple, together with 35 others, took out a procession and travelled 4 kilometres, donating their wealth, together with their cellphones.

Jain monkhood: A check of limits

While monkhood is a prevalent follow among the many Jain neighborhood in India, the identical required excessive dedication and checks one’s endurance and perseverance. Once the Bhandaris take the oath on April 22, they may have to reduce down ties with household and quit on something materialistic. The newly ordained monks can even want to stroll barefoot throughout India and stay solely on alms.

“They will probably be allowed to personal solely two white clothes, a bowl for alms and a “rajoharan”, a white broom Jain monks use to brush bugs away from an space earlier than they sit — a mark of the trail of non-violence they follow,” NDTV reported.

A pricey affair

In 2015, Bhanwarlal Raghunath Doshi, an Indian businessman, gave up his INR 600 crore (USD 71.84 million) enterprise to change into a monk. However, his initiation ceremony was a laving one. As per a Times of India report from June 5, 2015, Doshi used up INR 100 crore to e book the venue of the occasion, a one million sq. ft house. The occasion was attended by 1,000 monks and 150,000 visitors.

INR 8 crore (USD 958,021) was spent on varied preparations and INR 25 crore (USD 2,993,810) was donated to varied Jain establishments.

In 2023, a multi-millionaire diamond service provider and his wife in Gujarat additionally adopted within the footsteps of their son, 5 years after their the 12-year-old adopted monkhood. The to be monks, nevertheless, reached the venue in a Jaguar, the value of which begins from INR 72 lakhs (USD 86,221). The son rode a Ferrari for his diksha ceremony!

While this follow could be lauded by many, it additionally doesn’t auger effectively for all, particularly the members of the family. In 2017, a pair’s monkhood in Gujarat drew intervention from the Gujarat State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (GSCPCR) after Sumit Rathore, 35, and his wife Anamika, 34, left their three-year-old daughter together with her grandparents.

The organisation had sought a report from legislation enforcement in regards to the steps taken by the dad and mom to safe their daughter’s future, who would don’t have any relation with the couple as soon as they change into monks.