Gujarat Diamond Merchant and Wife Become Jain Monks
Gujarat diamond merchant and wife forsake wealth for monkhood, following children's earlier decisions.
Years after their son and daughter took a similar life decision, a Gujarat diamond merchant and his wife decided to leave behind their massive wealth to live the life of monks, giving up their life of luxury and massive yearly salary and his establishment has a yearly turnover of over Rs 15 crore. Gujarat diamond merchant Dipesh Shah and Pika Shah, based in Surat, decided to give up their wealth and renounce the materialistic world and live the rest of their lives as monks. Five years ago, their 12-year-old son Bhagyaratna Vijayji, then known as Bhavya Shah, also adopted a life of monkhood. A decade ago, their daughter had also decided to give up the riches for a life of monkhood. Shah’s son Bhagyaratna had ridden a Ferrari to his diksha ceremony, and his parents Dipesh and Pika ended up driving in a Jaguar for the same purpose. After leaving behind their material possessions and luxury lifestyle, the couple decided to live a life of abstinence, walking miles alongside other monks. Dinesh Shah, in preparation for monkhood, has already walked 350 km while Pika covered a distance of 500 km with women monks. Dipesh Shah said, “When my daughter took diksha, we too wished to follow her path someday. I earned wealth and success, but the search for ultimate peace and happiness never ended.” The Shah family has a history of being devoted to their spiritual journey as Dipesh’s father Pravin, who had a massive jaggery and sugar business, decided to move to Surat to be closer to the Jain monks in the area.
