Ahmadabad: A wealthy Jain couple from Gujarat, Bhavesh Bhandari and his wife, recently donated nearly ₹200 crore and embraced monkhood. Inspired by their children, who had already taken up monkhood in 2022, the couple, who previously owned a construction business, decided to renounce their material possessions and pursue an ascetic life.
They will formally pledge to monkhood on April 22, severing all family ties and relinquishing all materialistic belongings except for two white garments, an alms bowl, and a “rajoharan” for insect clearance, as per Jain tradition.
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.
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Joining a procession alongside 35 others, the couple symbolically donated all their possessions, including mobile phones and air conditioners. This act mirrors similar decisions by other affluent individuals, such as a diamond merchant and his wife in 2023 and a couple from Madhya Pradesh in 2017, who also relinquished their wealth to pursue a spiritual path.