24 Facts About Dada Bhagwan

Dada Bhagwan, known as Dadashri, born Ambalal Muljibhai Patel, was an Indian spiritual leader from Gujarat who founded the Akram Vignan Movement.

Dada Bhagwan worked as a contractor for a company maintaining dry docks in Bombay before attaining "self-realization" in 1958.

Dada Bhagwan left business and focused on his spiritual goals.

Dada Bhagwan grew up in Bhadran, Kheda district in central Gujarat.

Dada Bhagwan married a local village girl named Hiraba in 1924.

Dada Bhagwan began practising temporary celibacy and later vowed lifelong celibacy.

Dada Bhagwan used to maintain and construct dry docks in the Bombay harbour.

Dada Bhagwan claimed to have attained self-realisation in June 1958 at Surat railway station while sitting on a bench at platform number 3.

Dada Bhagwan had differentiated between self and his empirical self as Patel and Dada Bhagwan.

Dada Bhagwan left his business to his partners to concentrate on his spiritual goals.

Dada Bhagwan continued to live on the dividends of his shares of company.

Dada Bhagwan continued his householder life as his teaching did not require renunciation or asceticism.

Dada Bhagwan formed a movement which he termed Akram Vignan Movement.

Unlike the step-by-step purification according to Jain principles, Akram Vignan promises instant salvation through the grace of Simandhar Swami, for whom Dada Bhagwan serves as a medium.

Dada Bhagwan's followers believe that they will be reborn in two lives in Mahavideha, a mythical land described in Jain cosmology from where they can achieve Moksha as they are in connection with Gnani.

Dada Bhagwan said that he was initially reluctant due to fear of public opinion as in case of Shrimad Rajchandra but after his visit to a Rishabha temple in Khambhat he decided to public performance of Gnanvidhi, a practice to transfer of "knowledge" for self-realisation.

Dada Bhagwan continued to give spiritual discourses all over the world.

Dada Bhagwan emphasized contact of "knower" to gain knowledge over scriptural or ritual knowledge.

Dada Bhagwan's followers were initially spread in his hometown Vadodara and Bombay.

Dada Bhagwan argued for cow protection and against the consumption of meat, eggs and root vegetables on ethical and spiritual grounds.

Dada Bhagwan opposed the consumption of eggs but stated that dairy products can be consumed freely as long as the cows are well nourished and their calves are not starved.

Dada Bhagwan became a popular leader of the movement and was addressed as Niruma by her followers from 1999.

Dada Bhagwan was portrayed by Gulshan Grover in a 2012 independent film Desperate Endeavors directed by French-Algerian director Salim Khassa.

Dada Bhagwan authored the following books now translated in English:.