After son and daughter, Gujarat's millionaire diamond merchant and his wife become monks

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

diamond merchant and his wife in Gujarat's Surat have decided to renounce the materialistic world, five years after their 12-year-old son adopted monkhood. Incidentally, just like their son, who rode a Ferrari for his diksha ceremony, the couple drove a Jaguar for the same purpose.Dipesh Shah (51) and his wife Pika Shah (46) were following in the footsteps of their son Bhagyaratna Vijayji, then known as Bhavya Shah, to become monks. Incidentally, their daughter had adopted monkhood a decade ago and became Pararthrekha Shriji.

Dipesh Shah is said to be a successful diamond trader with an annual turnover exceeding Rs 15 crore. He has taken steps towards monkhood by winding up his lucrative business. The couple is now living a life of abstinence, walking miles with other monks.

Dipesh Shah has already walked over 350km as part of his preparation, while Pika has covered over 500km on foot with women monks, despite their significant wealth. The couple decided to become monks after their elder son got married recently. 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," Dipesh Shah explained. «But when we see monks who are always happy, we knew that our search will end through sacrifice and devotion.» This profound decision reflects the family's deep-rooted spiritual beliefs and the desire to find a lasting sense of contentment. Despite their financial success, Dipesh's father, Pravin, who had a thriving jaggery and sugar business, shifted to Surat to be closer to Jain monks and eventually ventured into the diamond business.