NI Bureau
A wealthy Jain couple from Gujarat has donated nearly ₹200 crore and embraced monkhood, intending to embark on a journey towards spiritual salvation. Bhavesh Bhandari, along with his wife, relinquished all their wealth during a ceremony in February and will formally commit to a life of renunciation at an upcoming event later this month.
Bhavesh, a businessman from Himmatnagar who was involved in construction, follows in the footsteps of his 19-year-old daughter and 16-year-old son, who adopted monkhood in 2022. Members of their community mention that Bhavesh and his wife were inspired by their children’s decision to “detach from material possessions and embrace the ascetic path.”
After taking their vows on April 22, the couple will sever all family ties and relinquish all material possessions. They will live on alms, owning only two white garments, an alms bowl, and a “rajoharan,” a white broom used by Jain monks to clear insects from their sitting area—an emblem of their commitment to non-violence.
The Bhandari family’s decision, notable for their substantial wealth, has attracted considerable attention throughout the state. They join a select group, including Bhavaralal Jain, who previously renounced billions to live a life of austerity. Bhavaralal Jain was a pioneer of micro-irrigation systems in India.
The Bhandari couple, accompanied by 35 others, held a four-kilometer procession during which they donated all their belongings, including mobile phones and air conditioners. Videos of the event show the couple atop a chariot dressed in royal attire.
In Jainism, taking ‘diksha’ signifies a profound commitment to living without material comforts, sustaining oneself on alms, and journeying barefoot across the country.
Last year, a wealthy diamond merchant and his wife in Gujarat followed a similar path, five years after their 12-year-old son became a monk. Interestingly, like their son, who used a Ferrari for his initiation ceremony, the couple used a Jaguar for theirs.
In 2017, a prosperous couple from Madhya Pradesh made headlines when they donated ₹100 crore and left their three-year-old daughter to become monks. Sumit Rathore, 35, and his wife Anamika, 34, entrusted their daughter to her grandparents before embarking on their new life. Just before Sumit’s monastic initiation, the Gujarat State Commission for Protection of Child Rights sought a report on the couple’s steps to secure their daughter’s future, as she would no longer have any relation with her monk parents.
Aniket Sardhana
