Ahmedabad: A Delhi-based billionaire, Bhanwarlal Raghunath Doshi, embraced asceticism and became a monk in a lavish ceremony in Ahmedabad.
The plastic tycoon and owner of property worth six billions opted for asceticism under the discipleship of Jain Acharya, Shri Gunratna Surishwarji Maharaj.
Before embracing Jain monastic life, Doshi said that he was giving up his property worth billions to achieve something even bigger.
"This is a materialistic world. Humans want to spend life given to them with ease and happiness. Everyone is running behind happiness. But from the gurus, I attained the knowledge that solely this should not be the motto of our lives. Our soul is immortal. It changes only body. So there is an endless cycle of birth and death and until it goes on, we cannot attain liberation," he said.
A father of three, Doshi was longing to live the monastic life since 1982 after getting acquainted with Jain verses on spirituality.
The ceremony followed by a procession cost around a billion and saw scores of holy men and women in attendance. Top industrialist Gautam Adani was also reported to have attended the event.
