Meet Surat-based diamond merchant, Dilip Kumar V Lakhi, who donated 101 kg gold worth Rs. 68 crore to Ayodhya Ram Mandir, much more than Ambani, Adani, and Tata.
Ram Mandir's pran pratishtha ceremony was held on January 22, 2024, in Lord Ram's Janmbhoomi, Ayodhya. The honourable Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, led the religious ceremony in the presence of hundreds of saints, celebrities and renowned personalities, who were invited to witness the historic event.
After a wait of 500 years, Lord Ram finally returned to his birthplace, Ayodhya, and the entire nation celebrated the festival of lights, Diwali, to mark the iconic day. Since the inauguration of Ayodhya Ram Mandir, millions of people from different parts of the country have expressed their desire to visit the iconic temple on social media. As per the trade experts, Ayodhya Ram Mandir will now be one of the biggest tourist attractions in the country, which can boost the economy of Ayodhya.
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There's no denying the fact that Ayodhya Ram Mandir was the spiritual need of every Sanatani across the world for some decades. No doubt, we are the luckiest generation to witness the inauguration of Ayodhya Ram Mandir, which is indeed a cultural milestone in the history of the Hindu religion. The importance of Ayodhya Ram Mandir can be understood by the fact that a sum of Rs. 2,500 crore was received from over ten crore people in just 45 days.
According to reports, Ayodhya Ram Mandir's crowdfunding project was the world's biggest religious crowdfunding ever. Apart from this, a series of significant contributions were made by several businessmen, politicians, and trusts across the world in the construction of Ayodhya Ram Mandir. For the uninitiated, the cost of Ayodhya Ram Temple is around the mammoth sum of Rs. 1,800 crore.
Well, today we are going to bring forward the name of Surat-based diamond merchant, Dilip Kumar V Lakhi, who donated Rs. 68 crore, leaving India's richest person, Mukesh Ambani and other renowned billionaires like Gautam Adani, Shiv Nadar, Savitri Jindal, Ratan Tata behind. For the unversed, Dilip Kumar donated 101 kg of gold to Ram Mandir, whose cost is around the mammoth sum of Rs. 68 crore.
As per several media reports, Ram Mandir Trust used the gold donated by Dilip Kumar V Lakhi in the making of its doors, Trishul, damaru, pillars, and sanctum sanctorum. According to multiple reports, India's richest person, Mukesh Ambani donated 33 kg of gold and Rs. 2.51 crore to Ayodhya Ram Mandir. Not much is known about the donations made by other renowned billionaires.
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Talking about the family background of Ayodhya Ram Mandir's biggest donor, Dilip Kumar V Lakhi, his father was also a diamond merchant and came to Jaipur in 1944, two years before the partition in 1947. Right from an early age, Dilip Kumar was exposed to his family business, and when he was in his teen years, he started helping his father in his business activities.
A significant turning point in Dilip Kumar V Lakhi's life came when his father sent him to Mumbai to set up a centre in the Zaveri Bazaar. The doting son repaid his father's trust in him by making a successful centre in Mumbai, leading to the enormous growth of their family business. As of now, Dilip Kumar V Lakhi owns one of the largest diamond polishing factories in the world, which is situated in Surat and has more than 6,000 employees.
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Dilip Kumar V Lakhi is among the biggest diamond merchants in the world, and with his centres in countries like Thailand, the USA, and the United Arab Emirates, his family business continues to spread its wings worldwide. As per multiple reports, while in India, Dilip Kumar V Lakhi handles the operations, his three brothers, Motiram V. Lakhi, Prakash V. Lakhi, and Deepak V Lakhi, are operating business in Hong Kong, New York, and the United Arab Emirates, respectively. With their ever-growing expansion, Surat-based billionaire, Dilip Kumar V Lakhi continues to take his family business to new heights.
What are your thoughts on Dilip Kumar V Lakhi's mammoth donation to Ayodhya Ram Mandir? Let us know.
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