New Delhi: The founder and owner of MDH Group Mahashay Dharmpal Gulati breathed his last on December 3 at Mata Chanan Devi Hospital at 6 o'clock in the morning. Not only in the field of business but also in the field of social service, Mahashay Dharmpal used to lead with example. In 2018, he went through the NGO called Saksham with the intention to promote the culture of eye donation among the people of all walks of life.
It is said that he had called all the volunteers of Saksham to his office and had discussed the procedure to donate eyes. He himself had filled up the form to donate his eyes. However, his eyes could not be donated due to coronavirus. His last wish of life could not be fulfilled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
His family members said that the doctors had told them that he defeated corona, but the after effect of Covid-19 proved fatal for him as he was almost 100 years old and his eyes could not be donated by keeping in mind other health and medical protocols and conditions.
Corona infected him 22 days back
Mahashay Dharmpal Gulati was admitted to Mata Chanan Devi hospital 22 days ago due to the corona infection. A few days later, his report came to be negative and he was discharged from the hospital. But then he was re-admitted due to ill health. He had a heart attack after which he breathed his last in the morning of December 3.
From rags to riches: Story of MDH owner
Some people are modest and some are religious. If someone is a scholar, then someone is talented. Someone is rich and someone is strong. Some are knowledgeable and some great donors. Some are hardworking and committed to chasing their dreams. If all these qualities were to seen in one persona together, then these were in Mahashay Dharam Pal Gulati Arya.
The Magha Krishna Tritiya of the Hindu calendar, that is, on the early morning of December 3, at 5.38 am, Mahashay Dharmpal Arya Ji breathed his last at the age of 98. He is the inspiration for the people. His life story from zero to the summit brings new energy to every child, young, old, businessman, and entrepreneur.
He was also honoured with Padma Bhushan by His Excellency President Ram Nath Kovind last year in recognition of his professional skills. Many social, religious and cultural programmes and institutions are being run across the country with his inspiration and support. He was the national president of All India Dayanand Sevashram Sangha and the head of the Arya Central Assembly Delhi.
He came to Delhi in search of work
Born on March 27, 1923, in Sialkot, presently in Pakistan, Mahashay Dharmpal Gulati came to India after the partition of the country in 1947. He was carrying Rs 1,500. In Sialkot, he had a shop called Degi Chilli and used to share his business with his father. But he did not enjoy doing business there and after the partition of India, he came to Delhi. After the displacement, the family spent some time in a refugee camp in Amritsar. After which he came to Delhi in search of work.
Got a rented shop in Chandani Chowk in 1953
Initially, for the upkeep of the family, he started running a horse-driven cart between Connaught Place and Karol Bagh in Delhi. After some time, he sold his horse cart and got a shop on rent in the Chandani Chowk area in 1953. He named this shop Mahashian Di Hatti (MDH). The journey of the global trade of his spices started from here.
He opened another spice shop in Chandni Chowk as well as on the Ajmal Khan Road in Karol Bagh, Delhi. By 1959, after three shops in Delhi's Chandni Chowk and Karol Bagh, he bought land in Kirti Nagar for the construction unit of Mahashian Di Hatti. Their business started growing from there by leaps and bounds.
Donated 90 percent of his earning
Dharmpal Arya, who had studied only up to Class five, was one of the best players of the business in the world. Even big giants in the business have considered him iron. It is said that he was the highest-grossing CEO of the FMCG sector. According to media reports, in 2018, he received a salary of Rs 25 crore.
He used to donate 90 per cent of his earnings to social works. Dozens of ashrams, orphanages, schools, hospitals, gurukuls and Arya Samaj temples were run by his inspiration or direct donations from him. He made a huge contribution in providing education and development facilities in the forest, tribal and Girivasi areas.
18 factories worldwide
His business started from a spice shop and kept flourishing thanks to his diligence. His business gradually expanded to such an extent that today he has 18 spice factories around the world. MDH, with its 62 products, today dominates almost 80 per cent of the markets in northern India.
Today MDH spices are supplied to more than 100 countries with offices in London. He was perhaps the first person in the industry to advertise himself his own products. In the advertisement titled ‘MDH Masala Sach, Sach ... MDH, MDH.’ His cheerful face can never disappear from the psyche of the audience. He is considered to be the oldest ‘ad star’ in the world.
Property worth Rs 54,000 crore
As per the IIFL Hurun Rich List-2020, he was India’s richest old person. The wealth of Hatti, which was once only Rs 1500, has reached about Rs 5400 crore today. It is said he used to donate generously for social welfare works as his earning went up.
He breath last on December 3
He regularly got up at 4 am in the morning to do yoga, meditation, excursion, exercise, pranayama, donation, self-education and Satsang. Despite having a tight schedule, he never missed giving adequate rest to his body. He was very particular about his lifestyle, food and other things. He was a pure vegetarian. He used to go to one factory every day.
Only a few days back, he had been tested positive for the coronavirus. He had recovered from the infection, but later his health deteriorated. He was undergoing treatment at Chanan Devi Hospital in Delhi.
