Nationality Indian Religion Jain | Name Rakesh Jhaveri | |
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Born September 26, 1966 (age 57) ( 1966-09-26 ) Mumbai, Maharashtra, India Website Shrimad Rajchandra Mission Dharampur Similar Virchand Gandhi, Gyanmati, Niraj Jain | ||
Rakesh Jhaveri, also known as Pujya Gurudevshri Rakeshbhai, (born 26 September 1966) is a spiritual leader, scholar of Jainism, author and orator from India. He is a follower of the nineteenth century spiritual teacher Shrimad Rajchandra. He is the founder of Shrimad Rajchandra Mission, Dharampur.
Contents
- Early life
- Shrimad Rajchandra Mission Dharampur
- Shrimad Rajchandra Love and Care
- Personal life
- Books
- Documentary
- References
Early life
Rakesh Jhaveri was born in Mumbai, India on 26 September 1966 to Dilip and Rekha Jhaveri, who followed the Śvētāmbara Murtipujaka tradition of Jainism. In 1972, he began his academic studies at Activity High School in Mumbai. He acknowledged Shrimad Rajchandra as his Guru and in 1983, after he completed the ICSE exam, and decided devote his life to spiritual activities. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Osmania University, Hyderabad, in 1988. He post-graduated in Philosophy in 1991 from University of Mumbai. He completed PhD in 1998 from University of Mumbai. His PhD thesis was a study of Atmasiddhi, a spiritual work composed by Shrimad Rajchandra. He observed absolute silence and traveled extensively from 1985 to 1990.
Shrimad Rajchandra Mission, Dharampur
He established Shrimad Rajchandra Adhyatmik Satsang Sadhana Kendra in 1994. In 1999, the construction of ashram at Dharampur started. In 2001, on the day of Mahavir Jayanti, he opened Shrimad Rajchandra Ashram at Dharampur. The ashram is located on the hillock of Mohangadh spread across 223 acres. It has 101 Satsang centres, 39 Youth Group Centres and 227 Divine Touch Centres worldwide.
In 2002, He started initiating his followers, Atmarpits, on his birthday. These followers give up worldly possessions and commit to celibacy.
In May 2015, Rakeshbhai was felicitated and presented with an award by Richard Verma, U.S. Ambassador to India, recognising his leadership in promotion of access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene in India.
His followers organised three day festival at the NSCI Dome in Worli, Mumbai to mark his 50th birthday in September 2016. Shrimad Rajchandra Vidyapeeth, a science college for tribal students in South Gujarat was unveiled on the occasion. In November 2016, the mission produced a play, Yugpurush: Mahatma na Mahatma depicting spiritual relationship between Shrimad Rajchandra and Mahatma Gandhi.
In November 2016, the Mission opened the science college in Dharampur, Shrimad Rajchandra Vidyapeeth. The college was virtually inaugurated in September 2016. In June 2017, he was presented with a congressional record citing him as a 'living embodiment of Jainism' by Raja Krishnamoorthi, a U.S. Representative for Illinois's 8th congressional district on the occasion of his visit to the Jain Society of Metropolitan Chicago in July 2017.
He represented Shrimad Rajchandra Mission Dharampur when the Government of India released ₹10 coins, ₹150 souvenir coins and the stamps at the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad on 29 June 2017 as the commemoration of Shrimad Rajchandra's 150th birth anniversary. He received a 'Certificate of Recognition' for the charitable work from Senator Tony Avella, 11th Senate District, New York State. He was presented with a 'Certificate of Congressional Recognition' in Houston from Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, 18th Congressional District of Texas.
Shrimad Rajchandra Love and Care
He established Shrimad Rajchandra Love and Care (SRLC), an NGO that provides medical, educational and humanitarian services, for universal upliftment.
Shrimad Rajchandra Love and Care has been participating in the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon since 2011. It has been the highest fund-raising NGO for seven consecutive years collecting approximately 77.26 lakh in 2011, 96.92 lakh in 2012, 1.38 crore in 2013, 1.5 crore in 2014 1.6 crore in 2015. 2.56 crore in 2016. 3.83 crore in 2017.
In 2016, he with more than 3000 people pledged to donate their organs at an event in Mumbai. In 2017, he was awarded certificates of appreciation in spreading awareness of organ donation in India and across the world by National Organ & Tissue Transplant Organisation and the Zonal Transport Coordination Centre, Mumbai.
Personal life
Though he follows several principles of Jain monasticism, such as observing Mahavratas (major vows), he does not consider himself a monk. He resides with his followers at the Ashram in Dharampur and with his family when in Mumbai.