SURAT: An eight-year-old heir to a diamond empire with roots in this Gujarat city is set to embrace monkhood on Wednesday after what may have been her last tryst with ostentation - song, dance, finery and a grand procession involving ornamented elephants, horses and camels.Devanshi Sanghvi, the older of two sisters, participated in 367 diksha events leading to her transition into monkhood, a family friend said during Tuesday's celebration.
"She's never watched TV and movies, or been to a restaurant." But for the path chosen by the child and her family, Devanshi would have been the owner of a multi-crore diamond company on turning into an adult.
Her father Dhanesh Sanghvi is the only son of Mohan Sanghvi, the patriarch of Sanghvi and Sons, one of the oldest diamond-making companies of the state with branches worldwide and an annual turnover possibly running into hundreds of crores.
Devanshi's sibling Kavya is five.Dhanesh, his wife Ami and both daughters have been known to follow a simple, religious lifestyle despite being born into riches.
Devanshi has followed a strict routine of prayers thrice a day since her early years, family friend said.