A rich Jain couple from Gujarat decided to give away all their money, nearly Rs 200 crore, so they could become monks. Bhavesh Bhandari and his wife donated their entire savings during a big ceremony in February. They even threw money from a truck at people who were watching. The Bhandaris will formally start their new life as monks later this month.
Bhavesh Bhandari and his spouse reside in Himmatnagar, Gujarat. Bhavesh Bhandari is known to be working in the construction industry, as per the media reports.
The news agency PTI shared a video on the X showing the family donating their belongings to the crowd while standing in a decorated truck. In the video, an emergency ambulance can also be seen following the couple.
In the year 2022, the couple's two children, a 19-year-old daughter and a 16-year-old son, chose to embrace monkhood. Following their children's path, the couple will now take a solemn vow known as "diksha" to dedicate themselves to "Saiyam Jeevan," which embodies the principles of Jain asceticism
In a ceremonial event held in February, Bhavesh Bhandari and his wife embarked on a symbolic journey. They donated their wealth and embraced a life of monkhood. The event was marked by a four-kilometre roadshow, where the couple, adorned in traditional attire and jewellery, stood atop a truck decorated like a chariot. During the procession, they distributed clothing, jewellery and banknotes to the crowd gathered below, symbolising their detachment from material possessions.
On April 22, Bhavesh Bhandari and his wife will formally embark on their ascetic journey, severing all familial ties and relinquishing their material wealth. This new lifestyle will involve traversing the country barefoot and subsisting solely on alms.
In a similar turn of events, in January, an 8-year-old daughter of a diamond merchant from Gujarat also left the luxuries of a comfortable life to embrace the path of monkhood.