Sharing God's word

A 52-year-old businessman is spreading Lord Krishna's simplified word to the farthest reaches of the country and that too for free. All one needs to do is send him a text message with his or her name and postal address. Jatin Anand reports.

A 52-year-old businessman is spreading Lord Krishna's simplified word to the farthest reaches of the country and that too for free. All one needs to do is send him a text message with his or her name and postal address.

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"I've been providing this service for the past three years," says Ramji (who goes only by his first name). Ramji operates a photostat and colour printing business in Dilshad Garden area. However, life wasn't always this pleasant Ramji.

"My mother died in 2000, after which my father took retirement two years later. We lost all our savings and were forced to settle in a small house in east Delhi. We literally came on the streets where my father, younger brother and I used to sell chappals at different weekly markets," Ramji said.

Ramji's first tryst with the Bhagvad Gita at a Krishna temple in southeast Delhi's Kalkaji gave him inspiration for life.

With the meagre income that he managed to earn, Ramji began buying low-cost Bhagvad Gitas from the temple and distributed them to his customers.

"The earnings started increasing and soon I was able to set up a small photostat shop, said Ramji.

"But I realised that the biggest base of devotees — the poor — did not have the means to procure the Gita. So I took it upon myself to ensure that they get the Gitas," he said.

He receives requests for the delivery of the sacred books on two numbers specially procured for the purpose. "I send them out first thing in the morning," he said as he sat between the 3, 000 copies requested by devotees on Janamashtmi.