Delhi’s “plastics king” Bhanwarlal Doshi has given up his business empire to embrace Jain monk’s life.
In the late 70s Doshi rejected his father’s offer to join his family’s modest business and started his own one. The son of a small textile merchant started plastic trading business believing that he would reach the top of his trade. And he did.
The Huffington Post reports that Doshi built a business empire worth $100 million trading in plastic raw material.
However, on May 31, Sunday, he gave it all up to become a Jain monk at a heavily attended event at the Ahmedabad Education Society. His consecration ceremony was attended by both spiritual leaders and the city’s top industrialists.
It would be noted that Doshi’s status as a Jain monk will be unique because he is a married man, has money and considerable social status.
Doshi made his decision to renounce his wealth not on the spur-of-the-moment. He had been planning to give up his business and embrace spirituality since 1982, The Times of India reports.
His son Rohit, who attended the ceremony, said that his father believed that the education of his sons and daughter “is of no use and the only real path is the path of salvation”. Rohit added that his father spent a considerable portion of his money funding charities.
“He would have taken diksha three years ago but the family stopped him then. It is always tough when the head of the family wants to seek diksha. It took three years for him to convince us. We are proud of him. The honour and respect that he got when he announced his decision is something that can only be seen to be believed,” he said.
Now a 58-year-old father of three is starting a life of austerity: he cannot cut his hair and has to walk without footwear.
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