Gujarat couple donates Rs 200 crore, adopts monkhood, showers money on people

A wealthy Jain couple from Gujarat has adopted monkhood after donating nearly Rs 200 crore, and later this month they will sever all family ties and set out on the journey for salvation.

Bhavesh Bhandari and his wife, who are inspired by their children, are renouncing material comforts. The duo’s daughter, 19, and 16-year-old son had adopted monkhood in 2022, according to reports.

Severing all family ties

Bhavesh is from Himmatnagar, Sabarkantha district in Gujarat, and was in the construction business. People from the Jain community in his district say that he and his wife were inspired by their children to "renounce their material attachments and join the ascetic path", a report on NDTV said.

After taking the pledge on April 22, the couple will have to sever all family ties and won’t be allowed to keep any “materialistic objects”. They will then walk barefoot across India and survive only on alms, the report added.

Showering money

In a video shared on social media, the Bhandari couple and 35 others were seen taking out a procession in a chariot in Himmatnagar and donated all their possessions including mobile phones, fans, and air conditioners. The video shows the duo showering currency notes on the people gathered to watch them.

When their children adopted monkhood, Bhavesh said, “My children were raised amidst the teachings of monks and had the opportunity to spend time with them during the lockdown, which inspired their decision to become monks.”

Previous instances

This is not the first instance of affluent people from Gujarat embracing monkhood. Last year, a nine-year-old daughter of a wealthy diamond merchant embraced monkhood in Surat.

Also last year, as many as 58 educated young men including engineers and an architect embraced monkhood by joining the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha at the Pramukh Swami Maharaj Nagar in Ahmedabad.

In 2017, an affluent Jain couple from Madhya Pradesh adopted monkhood after renouncing property worth an estimated Rs 100 crore and leaving their toddler daughter in the care of her grandparents.

While Sumit Rathore (35), a businessman, and, his wife Anamika (34) embraced monkhood. Sumit and Anamika hail from Neemuch in Madhya Pradesh.