Pratap Bhogilal Journey Through Life

Author(s): Rauf Ahmed
Publisher: Bhupendra Singh Anand

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PRATAP BHOGILAL - JOURNEY THROUGH LIFE
Vallabh Smarak and Jain Sadhvis
When Bapaji was bed-ridden in 1979, he had received a letter from Sadhvi Maharaj Mrugavatiji, requesting him to attend the foundation stone-laying ceremony of the Vallabh Smarak, but we could not go and I had written a letter to Pujya Sadhviji expressing his inability and reason for the same. After Bapaji's death, when I had gone to Delhi, to attend a FICCI meeting, the Manager of Shree Ram Mills, Delhi, Navneet Shah who was a Jain, suggested that I visit Rupnagar Upashraya (a place where Sadhus and Sadhvis stay) and have Sadhvi Mrugavati's darshan. Since the FICCI meeting was in the afternoon, I had enough time to visit the Upashraya in the morning. Sadhviji inquired after our family as she knew us all. She had stayed at our Andheri bungalow a few times, once for a month. Bapaji used to visit her whenever she was in Mumbai during chaturmas. She had great regard and respect for Bapaji. After about half an hour I sought her permission to leave and said I would be visiting the temple (about 100 yards from the Upashraya) before going back to my work in Delhi.
There was a huge congregation at the temple. After the darshan lśat there for a while. Sadhvi Maharaj had followed me to the temple. A gentleman by the name of Raj Kumar Jain, whom I had not met before, was sitting next to me. Later, Raj Kumarji and I became quite close friends. There was a Boli (bid) going on. I asked him what the Boli was for. He said it was for the foundation stone of the Jain temple at the Smarak to be laid in May that year. So I took part in the Boli, hoping it might help raise the bid to higher levels. When the bid reached Rs. 75,000, which was mine, I took leave of Sadhvi Maharaj. She told Raj Kumar to stop the Boli and resume it after a month. I told Navneet Shah, not to take part in the Boli as I was not interested, also I would not have liked to take the family to Delhi in May when the weather would be quite oppressive with heat.
When Sadhvi Maharaj did not see me or Navneet Shah at the next bid, she ordered that my last bid of Rs.75,000 should be accepted and there should be no further bidding. So I had to go to Delhi in May with the whole family to attend the foundation stone-laying ceremony. That was
Ability may get you to the top; but it takes character to keep you there. - Stevic