Murali Bapu was an Indian spiritual leader and preacher, famous for reciting the Ramaka Sutra in various countries.
Wiki/Biography
Morari Bapu was born on Wednesday, September 25, 1946 (74 years old in 2020) in Taljajada, Bhavnagar district, Gujarat. His star sign is Virgo. He went to a higher secondary school in Taljajada. Later, he studied for the post of lecturer at Shahpur Training School in Junagadh, Gujarat.
Morari Bapu’s school teacher
An old photo of Morali Bapu
Young Molari Bapu
Black and white photo of Murali Bapu
appearance
Height (approximate): 5′ 5″
Eye color: dark brown
Hair color: Gray (half bald)
Family and caste
He was born into a Hindu family and followed the Nimbarka Sampradaya of the Vaishnavism sect of Hinduism.
Molali Bapu’s old house
Parents and siblings
His father’s name is Prabhudas Bapu Hariyani and his mother’s name is Savitri Ben Hariyani. He has six brothers and two sisters. One of the brothers is the late Jadgishbhai Hariyani. His grandfather’s name is Tribhovandas Hariyani. His grandmother’s name is Amrit Ma. His great-grandfather Mahmandleshwar Vishnu is known as Giriji Maharaj of Kailas Ashram, Rishikesh.
Morari Bapu’s grandmother
Relationships, Wife and Children
He is married to Narmadaben Hariyani and has three daughters Bhavana Modi, Prasanna Patel, Sobhana Hariyani and a son Parthiv Hariyani.
Morari Bapu with his wife and children
Parthiv Hariyani
The beginning of spiritual life
His spiritual journey began when he was just 5 years old. He used to sit next to his grandparents while his grandfather taught him the Ramayana. Molali Bapu’s grandfather taught him the five hymns (Chaupais) of the Ramayana every day, which Bapu used to recite on his way to school. He often listened to folk and spiritual stories narrated by his grandmother. He memorized the chaupais (couplets) at a very young age and the entire Ramayana by the age of twelve.
Old photo of Molari Bapu
Spiritual saints and chanters
At the age of 14, he gave his first lecture on the Ramayana in 1960 at the ‘Ramji Mandir’ in Talgajarda.
Morari Bapu in 1960
Internationally, his first Katha event was held in Nairobi in 1976. He has recited Katha at more than 800 events in India and abroad, in countries including Sri Lanka, Indonesia, South Africa and Kenya, as well as the UK, the US, Brazil, Australia, Israel and Japan. In 2011, Molari Bapu’s Katha recited the Rama Katha at the foot of Mount Kailas in Tibet. In addition to the Rama Katha, he has recited 19 Katha on Gopi Geet during the nine days of Navratri.
philanthropist
In December 2016, he organized a Ram Katha event for the third gender in Mumbai. He received support from Laxmi Narayan Tripathi, a well-known LGBT activist in India. In an interview, Laxmi said:
No spiritual or religious leader in the world has ever hosted a community event like this for us, and for that I am deeply grateful to him.”
Laxmi Narayan Tripathi and Morari Bapu
He has been working for the welfare of women in red-light areas. In December 2018, he organized Ram Katha for these women in Ayodhya and donated Rs 6.92 crore, including Rs 11 lakh of his own money, for their welfare. Morari Bapu was one of the first spiritual leaders in India to meet red-light women in Mumbai.
Old photo of Molari Bapu reciting scriptures
He has been supporting the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. In 1992, he participated in an event organized by the RSS and appealed to the youth to support the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. In an online Katha in 2020, he appealed to people to donate at least Rs 5 crore, but within 6 days of his appeal, more than Rs 18 crore were donated.
Morari Bapu gets emotional while reciting the mantra
He has always supported Indian soldiers and praised their contributions in various speeches and addresses. He has visited Indian soldiers in Wagah, Ferozepur and Amanat. He has always helped the families of martyred soldiers and in 2019, he announced an assistance of Rs 1 lakh to the families of the soldiers martyred in the Pulwama attack.
Morari Bapu while reciting the Katha
He has also been involved in various other social activities like organizing a public toilet construction drive in Bardoli in 2005, drought relief drive in Jaipur in 2003, organizing Ram Katha and donations for Akshaya Patra Foundation, and organizing Ram Katha in Surat (2015) ‘Beti Bachao’ Abhiyan (Save the Girl Child). He has also provided financial assistance on various occasions including Rs 10 crore for Uttarakhand floods and reconstruction of Kedarnath Temple in 2014, financial assistance to cancer patients and kidney patients, and Rs 4 crore to Akshaya Patra Foundation.
Mantra composed by Morari Bapu for Akshaya Patra Foundation
dispute
- In 2017, a man was found to be a terrorist at Sardar Patel Hospital, where Morari Bapu had donated money and organized kathas to raise funds for the hospital. He was reportedly suspected to be an anti-nationalist.
- A statement made by Morari Bapu has caused a huge controversy in India. In 2019, he made controversial remarks in a speech where he said,
Lord Shiva is the only real Neelkanth, not the “one who has eaten laddus”.
The Swami Narayan sect did not like his remarks as they worshipped Ladoo as Prasad and one of the Swami Narayan sect was also Neelkanth. Eventually, it turned into a dispute between Sanatan Dharma and Swaminarayan.
- In 2020, advocate Bobandalas demanded action against Morari Bapu and other forest officials for organizing an illegal lion show in the restricted area of ’Gir Sanctuary’ near Junagadh.
- He said that he had made controversial remarks against Lord Krishna in June 2020.
Krishna failed to establish dharma.”
Lord Krishna’s followers did not like his remarks. Later, he apologized for the remarks. Upset by his remarks, former BJP MP Prabhuba Manek’s video went viral in which he rushed towards Bapu, who was addressing the media while travelling around the court after visiting the Dwarkadhish temple.
address
Shree Chitrakutdham Trust, VIII, Talgajarda, Mahuva, District-Bhavnagar, Gujarat
net worth
As of 2018, his net worth is approximately Rs 550 crore.
sign
Morari Bapu’s signature
Facts/Trivia
- His full name was Moraridas Prabhudas Hariyani and he followed the tradition of Hindu asceticism.
- According to the Hindu calendar, he was born on the eve of Shivaratri.
- He considers his grandfather Tribhovandas Dada as his spiritual guru. He used to carry a 300-year-old copy of the Ramayana given to him by his grandfather. Morari Bapu used to observe the vow of silence every Saturday.
- His hobbies include listening to Indian classical music, singing Urdu couplets and playing cricket.
- He was born into the ‘Vaishnava Bava Sadhu Nimbarka lineage’; in this lineage every child was called Bapu.
- He is a famous spiritual leader in India and senior leaders from all walks of life and other celebrities have visited him to seek blessings.
- His morning routine starts with Puja or Yagya.
- In 2009, he organized the “World Religious Dialogue and Symphony Conference” in Mahwah, which was opened by the 14th Dalai Lama.
- In order to spread religious equality, he participated in various events organised by the Muslim community, including ‘Yaad-e-Hussain’.
- On September 17, 2016, he recited the Rama Sutra in Ad Dhabi and was welcomed by Sultan Mohammed bin Jayad Al Nahyan.
- Even as Shiv Sena supporters protested against Pakistani ghazal singer Ustad Ghulam Ali’s ‘Sangeet Samaroh’ performance at the SankatMochan temple in Varanasi, Morari Bapu came out in support of Ustad Ghulam Ali.
- In an interview, he shared one of his motivations in life, saying,
My motive is to make Rama’s story accessible to the neglected, exploited and marginalized sections of the society, just as Rama himself went to the Shabris, Nishads and Sugareevas of his time.”
- He reportedly advocated for Hindu reforms by giving girls the right to perform last rites.
- He also organised mass weddings for poor families, regardless of their religion.
- According to some sources, he had supported groups like the Vishwa Hindu Parishad in the Ram-Janmabhoomi movement.
- During the 2002 Gujarat riots, he organised a peace meeting in the Muslim area of Ahmedabad.
- In one of his documentaries, when he was asked why he wore a black shawl and covered his hands with a black and white shawl with the word “Ram” written on it, he replied,
“For no particular reason, my grandmother used to wear black and also used to sleep with her legs crossed. God’s color is also black.”
- Morari Bapu sits behind the idol of Lord Rama (Poothiji) which is wrapped in orange hand-spun cotton cloth. He places a cotton cloth under Poothiji and drapes the black and white shawl of Lord Rama on his legs.
- A spiritual leader in Punjab calls himself “Chhote Morari Bapu” and follows the same dressing style as Morari Bapu, including wearing a black shawl.
- In 2019, he appeared on the popular Indian news show Aap Ki Adalat with Rajat Sharma. While talking to renowned Indian journalist Rajat Sharma, he praised Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said,
Politicians mostly resort to “saam, daam, dand, bhed” (carrot, stick, bargaining, divide). But no one can question the patriotism (rashtra-bhakti) of our Prime Minister. PM Narendra Modi’s government has done a lot of good things but it is difficult to satisfy everyone. I am not a politician who tells people whom to vote for. Voters should listen to their conscience and vote for whomever they like.”
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education