Ahmedabad — Delhi’s ‘plastics king’, Bhanwarlal Raghunath Doshi, gave up his over 6 billion rupee business empire to embrace Jain monastic life at an extravagant ceremony in the city on Sunday.
Doshi became a monk under the discipleship of Jain Acharya, Shri Gunratna Surishwarji Maharaj. Doshi became the 108th disciple of Surishwarji Maharaj and 354th postulant to become a monk under him.
Father of two sons and a daughter, Doshi had been planning to take diksha since 1982 after Jain lectures drew him to spirituality. However, he could convince his family only last year. As many as 101 people from the audience also took a sankalp (resolution) to take Jain diksha during the next five years, reported The Times of India.
The diksha venue — the Ahmedabad Education Ground — was built on the theme of a ‘samyam jahaj’ (ship of restraint) that had cost Rs 100 crore. Apart from 1,000 sadhus and sadhvis, the event also had 150,000 samayiks (spectators).
A large number of dignitaries, including Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani, honoured Doshi at the event. On Saturday, a 7-km procession, ‘Varsi Daan’, was taken out with 1,000 Jain monks, 12 chariots, nine elephants, nine camel carts and traditional musicians.