From Millionaire to a Monk: Know Bhanwarlal Raghunath Doshi's life story

Ahmadabad, June 3: Bhanwarlal Raghunath Doshi is making news everywhere. Known as plastic king and Delhi's millionaire, Doshi chose to left his over Rs 600 crore business empire to become a jain monk.

Let's know more facts about his life and what led him to take such a big decision.

After bidding farewell to his luxurius life, Doshi embraced asceticism and turned into a monk in an extravagant affair at Ahmedabad Education Society, under discipleship of Jain Acharya, Shri Gunratna Surishwarji Maharaj on Sunday, May 31. He became Acharya's 108th disciple.

The diksha (consecration) ceremony lasted till three days. The venue was built with the theme of a 'samyam jahaj' (ship of restraint).

1,50,000 people attended the lavish send-off and 500 hotel rooms were booked to accommodate the guests.

Like the recent coronation ceremony of the Mysore's new Maharaja Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, his ceremony was also followed by a procession of 7 kms, in which 1000 monks, chariots, elephants, camel carts and musicians participated.

Top industrialist Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani also attended the lavish event, that cost around a billion.

Orginally from Rajasthan, Doshi is a father of three children-two sons and a daughter.

He wanted to become a monk since 1980s, when he acquainted himself with the Jain verses on spirituality. Finally in 2015, he succeeded in convincing his family.

In 1970s, he borrowed Rs 30,000 from his father, who was a small textile merchant, to start his own business in Delhi and refused to join his father's family business.

As Doshi has chosen to live a life of austerity, now, he cannot cut his hair and has to walk without wearing footwear.

While talking to a media channel, Doshi said, "This is a materialistic world. Humans want to spend life given to them with ease and happiness. Everyone is running behind happiness. But from the gurus, I attained knowledge that solely this should not be the motto of our lives. Our soul is immortal. It changes only body. So there is an endless cycle of birth and death and until it goes on, we cannot attain liberation."

His son Rohit, who is an MBA from UK told The Mirror that "his father believes that the education of his sons and daughter "is of no use and the only real path is the path of moksha (salvation)".

OneIndia News