Gujarat Businessman, Wife Donate ₹200 Crore Wealth To Become Monks

Gujarati Businessman Bhavesh Bhandari, accompanied by his wife, donated all their wealth to adopt the life of monks and live the lives of ascetics. The duo committed to "Sayyam Jeevan" or the way of Jain ascetics. The couple can be seen riding atop a sizable truck decked out like a chariot in a video that has gone viral on social media, tossing clothes and dousing participants in cash during the procession. 

Who is Bhavesh Bhandari?

Bhavesh Bhandari is known to be a wealthy business in Gujarat, working in the construction field. He has been in the news for choosing to be a monk and donating all his wealth, along with his wife. The couple hails from Himmatnagar and had earned themselves great honour for donating large sums to the Jain community.

The Himmatnagar businessman, who was in the construction industry, decided to become a monk in 2022, following in the footsteps of his 19-year-old daughter and 16-year-old son. Community members claim that Bhavesh and his spouse were motivated to "renounce their material attachments and join the ascetic path" by their kids. 

The Bhandari couple gave away everything they owned, including air conditioners and cell phones, in a four-kilometer-long procession that included thirty-five other people. The couple can be seen riding a chariot and dressed like royalty in videos of the procession.

VIDEO | Gujarat-based businessman Bhavesh Bhandari and his wife donated their lifetime earnings of over Rs 200 crore to adopt monkhood. The couple led a procession in Sabarkantha, Gujarat, yesterday as they donated all their belongings.

(Full video available on PTI Videos -… pic.twitter.com/eWu9IQEZo3

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 16, 2024

What do Jain monks do?

People from the  Jain Community who take Diksha, or become monks, live a non-materialistic life. They walk barefoot all across the country and survive only on alms. They wear only two pieces of garment, which is white. They practice non-violence, they will also carry a white broom which is called "Rajoharan', they use this broom to brush away any insects from the place they sit.

The Monks practice celibacy. 

In Jainism, taking 'diksha' is a significant commitment where the individual lives without material comforts, or any familial ties. After taking Diksha one’s goal is to clear all the wrongdoings (paaps) that they have committed in their past and only after that can Moksha (salvation) be attained.

There is a proverb saying that — “Diksha is eating chickpeas made out of metal using teeth made out of wax.” Not everyone is capable of following such a strict lifestyle for the rest of their lives.