Wealthy Indian couple donates INR2b, embraces monkhood

Husband and wife duo will don two pieces of white clothing and rely solely on alms for sustenance

An affluent Jain couple from the Indian state of Gujarat, Bhavesh Bhandari and his wife, have made a substantial donation of nearly INR2 billion and embarked on a journey of spiritual enlightenment by embracing monkhood.

According to The Economic Times, they relinquished their wealth in February and are scheduled to formally embrace renunciation at an upcoming event later this month.

Bhandari's son and daughter had already embraced monkhood a couple of years ago. Originating from Himmatnagar and involved in the construction business, Bhandari is following the path taken by his children.

Members of their community suggest that Bhavesh and his wife were inspired by their children to detach from material possessions and adopt an ascetic lifestyle.

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In 2021, when his children embraced monkhood, Bhavesh Bhandari remarked, "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."

Photos circulating on social media depict the Bhandari couple participating in a procession, symbolically divesting themselves of all material belongings.

This development echoes previous instances within the Jain community, such as in 2017 when a wealthy Jain couple from Madhya Pradesh renounced their wealth, valued at approximately Rs1 billion, and entrusted the care of their young daughter to her grandparents.

Similarly, last year, a multi-millionaire diamond trader and his spouse chose to forsake worldly possessions, following their 12-year-old son, who had embraced monkhood five years earlier.