Morari Bapu


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Morari Bapu (born Moraridas Prabhudas Hariyani) is Hindu spiritual leader and preacher from Gujarat state of India who is popularly known for his discourses on Ramcharitmanas across various cities in India and abroad. He is also known for philanthropy and social reforms through his discourses.

Morari Bapu

Morari Bapu

Born

Moraridas Prabhudas Hariyani


25 September 1946 (age 78)

Talgajarda, Mahuva, Gujarat, India

NationalityIndian
CitizenshipIndian
Occupation(s)Reciter, Ram Charit Manas Kathakar,
SpouseNarmadaben
ChildrenBhavana, Prasanna, Parthiv, Sobhana
Parent(s)Savitriben
Prabhudas Bapu Hariyani
RelativesTribhovandas (grandfather)
Amrita (grandmother)
Websitechitrakutdhamtalgajarda.org

Early life

Morari Bapu was born on 25 September 1946 (Shivaratri according to Hindu calendar) in Talgajarda village near Mahuva, Gujarat, to Prabhudas Bapu Hariyani and Savitri Ben Hariyani, in a family of six brothers and two sisters.[1][2][3] His family followed Nimbarka Sampradaya, a Hindu Vaishnava tradition.[4] He considers his grandfather Tribhovandas Hariyani as his guru, spiritual teacher, and learnt Ramcharitmanas from him at a place now known as Chitrakutdhaam. He memorised the chaupais (couplets) while travelling from Talgajarda to primary and secondary schools in Mahuva.[4]

After completing secondary education, he joined Shahpur Teachers Training College in Junagadh. Later he joined a primary school in Mahuva as a teacher in 1966.[4]

Career

At the age of 20, he gave his first discourse on Ramcharitmanas under Ramparsad Maharaj at a nine day discourse held at Gandila, a village in Gujarat.[1][4] He gave his first discourse abroad in Nairobi in 1976.[1] He gives discourses (kathaas) in Gujarati and Hindi in India and abroad. He has given discourses in the United States, United Kingdom, South Africa, Kenya, Uganda as well as on a cruise ship in the Mediterranean Sea, and on an airplane travelling the world, in Vatican City and on the foothills of Mount Kailash in China.[5]

He keeps 300-years-old copy of Ramayana with him which he received from his grandfather and follows a vow of silence, on every Saturday.[4] He is not an ascetic but follows traditions of Hindu asceticism.[4]

Views and Philanthropy

In the interview with the Times Now, Morari Bapu said that it is his motive to make Ram Katha (Story of Rama) accessible to the neglected, exploited and marginalised segments of society, just as Ram himself went to the Shabris, Nishads and Sugareevas of that time".[6] In the December month of 2018, Morari Bapu had organised the Ram Katha among sex workers in Ayodhya and he pledged ₹3 crore for the welfare of sex workers.[7] In the last, he distributed ₹6.92 crore (69.2 million) for welfare of the sex workers in which he added ₹11 lakh (1.1 million) of his own.[8][9] Morari Bapu was the first spiritual leader to meet sex workers in the Mumbai.[10]

 
Morari Bapu giving tribute to the portrait of Mahatma Gandhi.

Earlier in December 2016, Morari Bapu had organised Ram Katha for the transgenders in Mumbai.[11][12] For this work, Laxmi Narayan Tripathi, an Indian LGBT activist, had said, “No spiritual or religious leader in the world has ever done this kind of a community event for us and for that, I’m grateful to him.”[13]

Morari Bapu had supported the construction of temple of Rama on the disputed site in Ayodhya. In 1992, he attended the event organised by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and appealed youth to 'fight' and to be 'martyred' for the Rama Temple.[14]In a TV show, Aap Ki Adalat, he appealed the Supreme Court of India not to delay the judgement regarding the temple.[15] In the same episode, he said that nobody can question the patriotism of Narendra Modi.[16]

In 2017, he had organised a discourse in Surat to help the families of army personnel who had died in the conflict.[17][18] He announced an aid of ₹1 lakh to the family of each Central Reserve Police Force personnel killed in the 2019 Pulwama attack.[19][20]

Reception

Morari Bapu's discourse to sex workers in the Ayodhya was criticised by several Hindu religious and spiritual leaders.[21][22] He responded that he would addressing a deprived section of society and cited that Rama's life was based on acceptance and reforms.[21]

In September 2019, he had took sarcastic dig at Sahajanand Swami, founder of Swaminarayan sect, and said that, "To become Nilkanth (one name of Shiva), you have to drink poison. You can't become Nilkanth by eating laddus (referring to Sahajananda)."[23][24] The comments triggered a controversy and saints from the Swaminarayan sect demanded an apology.[24] He later apologised.[25]

References

  1. ^ a b c Kapoor, Subodh (2002). The Indian Encyclopaedia: Meya-National Congress. Cosmo Publications. p. 4923. ISBN 9788177552737.
  2. ^ Biography Archived 21 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ Media, Maneesh (20 June 2019). Jewels of Gujarat: Morari 'Bapu' Prabhudas Hariyani: Leading Global Gujarati Personality. Maneesh Media.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Sheth, Chandrakant; Parikh, Pravinchandra; Shukla, Bansidhar (2002). "મોરારિબાપુ". In Thaker, Dhirubhai (ed.). Gujarati Vishwakosh (in Gujarati). Vol. XVI (1st ed.). Ahmedabad: Gujarat Vishwakosh Trust. pp. 725–726. OCLC 248968280.
  5. ^ King, Anna S.; Brockington, J. L. (2005). The Intimate Other: Love Divine in Indic Religions. Orient Blackswan. p. 125. ISBN 9788125028017.
  6. ^ "Exclusive Interview: Morari Bapu on Ram Katha in Ayodhya for Sex Workers". www.timesnownews.com. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  7. ^ Ghosh, Labonita GhoshLabonita; Dec 27, Mumbai Mirror | Updated; 2018; Ist, 06:00. "Morari Bapu pledges Rs 3 cr for sex workers". Mumbai Mirror. Retrieved 9 October 2019. CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  8. ^ "Morari Bapu distributes nearly Rs 7 crores collected in Ayodhya Ram Katha towards welfare of sex workers". www.timesnownews.com. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  9. ^ 17 Jan, Bharat Yagnik | TNN | Updated; 2019; Ist, 7:19. "Morari Bapu donates funds for welfare of sex workers | Ahmedabad News - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 9 October 2019. CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  10. ^ "Morari Bapu becomes first spiritual leader to meet sex workers, invites them to katha event in Ayodhya". www.timesnownews.com. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  11. ^ "When Ram Katha unites: Morari Bapu deepens community and citizenship by inviting sex workers to Ayodhya". Times of India Blog. 29 December 2018. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  12. ^ Patel, Pooja (23 December 2016). "Morari Bapu's Ram katha makes space for transgenders". DNA India. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  13. ^ Patel, Pooja (23 December 2016). "Morari Bapu's Ram katha makes space for transgenders". DNA India. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  14. ^ चुडासमा, दीपक (30 September 2019). "मोरारी बापू: क्या है सनातन धर्म बनाम स्वामीनारायण संप्रदाय का विवाद". Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  15. ^ Taneja, Nidhi (19 January 2019). "Morari Bapu in Aap Ki Adalat: 'Appeal Supreme Court not to delay hearing on Ram temple'". www.indiatvnews.com. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  16. ^ Shantanu, Shashank (19 January 2019). "'Nobody can question PM Modi's patriotism': Morari Bapu in Aap Ki Adalat". www.indiatvnews.com. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  17. ^ Kumar, Manan (14 November 2017). "'Ramkatha' in Surat protest hub to raise funds for martyrs". DNA India. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  18. ^ "सूरत में रामकथा, दुल्हन ने शादी के संगीत समारोह के 50 हजार रुपए दिए आर्मी के लिए". Dainik Bhaskar (in Hindi). 29 November 2017. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  19. ^ "पुलवामा हमले में शहीद परिवारों की मदद को मोरारी बापू ने बढ़ाया हाथ, देंगे 1-1 लाख रुपये की मदद". NDTVIndia. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  20. ^ "पुलवामा में शहीद हुए जवानों के परिजनों की सहायता के लिए आगे आए मोरारी बापू, देंगे लाखों की आर्थिक मदद". hindi.timesnownews.com (in Hindi). Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  21. ^ a b "Morari Bapu Kicks Row After Narrating Ram Katha To Sex Workers In Ayodhya". Outlook India. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
  22. ^ 23 Dec, Arshad Afzaal Khan | TNN | Updated; 2018; Ist, 10:25. "Sex workers at Ayodhya Ram Katha triggers row | Lucknow News - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 18 October 2019. CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  23. ^ चुडासमा, दीपक (30 September 2019). "मोरारी बापू: क्या है सनातन धर्म बनाम स्वामीनारायण संप्रदाय का विवाद". Retrieved 18 October 2019.
  24. ^ a b "મોરારીબાપુએ નીલકંઠવર્ણી પર કટાક્ષ કરતા સ્વામિનારાયણ સંપ્રદાયના સાધુ-સંતો નારાજ". VTV Gujarati. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
  25. ^ hareshk (6 September 2019). "મોરારી બાપુએ નીલકંઠ મુદ્દે આપેલા નિવેદન પછી કેમ કહ્યું 'મિચ્છામી દુક્કડમ', જુઓ વીડિયો". abpasmita.abplive.in. Retrieved 18 October 2019.