A Letter TO My Dearest Dadaji - Disha

February 10,2016

To my Dearest Ratilal Dada,

Today is very special Day, special because it is the occasion of your 100th birthday and that is bitter
sweet for me. Hope you were with us today Dear Dadaji. There is so much to say to you but
words have always failed, but remembering you today takes me down to those days we spent
together.

You have demonstrated nothing but positivity to me and everyone in our Family.
Effortlessly, you have provided a sense of security and stability for us for our entire life. You
are everything that anyone could ever ask for in a grandfather and more. Grandfathers are
truly awesome. God has certainly blessed our family for giving you, Dadaji  As your
grandchild I am proud and blessed to have this opportunity to stop and reflect on a remarkable man
who I am fortunate enough to have shaped my life and my being with love and guidance. I am also
saddened that you are no longer with us but your absence is always felt in our hearts. I want to tell you
again how much I love you and respect you and Miss you and appreciate everything you’ve done for us.
Dadaji has always played a role of Hero in my Life. He was an amazing man, one that I admire and
appreciate and love. He showed me how to have fun, how to enjoy life, what family means, what
leadership and sacrifice and responsibility and joy means. He have given me the very essence of how I
perceive life and I cannot express how profoundly grateful I am for all that you have done.
I have so many memories of the kindness, and love and fun that he has brought to my life over the
years. Many of the best are the simplest. My fond memories of spending time with him are
something that I cherish now and will forever. Simple, perfect and everlasting.

I wished that I could have tell you this in person - Thank you Dadaji for all of those and many, many
memories and your love. For being my hero. I love you from the bottom of my heart. You are a great
man and I am so fortunate to be your granddaughter.

I miss you Dadaji each day and wish you could have stayed with us a little more and I could have say all
this to you in person.

With love,

DIsha

Life is what you make out of it - Hitarth Jani

Life is what you make out of it – were the words of my grandfather when i asked him in one of the afternoon sessions i used to have with him one on one in summer vacations. 

When everybody else in household would prefer to have a nap on lazy summer afternoons, i would be awake talking to him about his views on life, philosophy, religions and his life experiences. May be i was that lucky kid who had a father figure to answer my questions full of curiosity. He too would answer all my questions with equal zeal with a glitter in his eyes that never faded till the end. I was also a stubborn soul who would never settle with an answer until it fits into my logical mind. This somehow brought the best of his sharing of life experiences and philosophy with me.

As a kid i was always fascinated how my Grandfather led his life right from his childhood when he was 5 years old till the end. I have not seen anyone yet with that will power in them to live the life on their own terms as i saw in him.

Imagine a person having lost his 10 siblings one after another within few years time, having lost his mother at age of 16, grown up doing all household chores by himself and also working simultaneously in order to keep the things moving, leaving home in order to search for a better tomorrow in such tough times – I once asked him how did you managed to do that all by yourself? He said - It is simple. When you clear out all irrelevant obstacles from your way, you become in tune and in direct touch with your life.

This above example and such numerous life experiences you don’t find anyone else in world but from your elders. Today 100 years on his teachings, philosophy and legacy remains.

RATILAL SANKALCHAND JANI – A part of you shall remain with me always. 

Below is a screenshot of a message to all Janis’ written in his own words shared with me by him in one of those afternoon sessions.

Karma Yogi Ratilal - Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements

I wish to express my gratitude to all the people associated in the writing of this book, especially Ba – Smt. Premilagauri Jani, Uncles – Shri Bharat Jani, Shri Pankaj Jani, Shri Harish Jani and Shri Nilesh Jani for being very generous in sharing their experience and knowledge.

I am thankful to my Aunts – Smt. Jayshree Bharat Jani, Smt. Unnati Pankaj Jani, Smt. Kanan Harish Jani and Kirtida Nilesh Jani for reviewing text. I thank, my friends and cousins – Amish, Purvi, Himani, Dhiman, Vidhi, Disha and Kosha for their tough critical analysis and comments, accompanied with their gentle support.

And finally, my deepest gratitude to the Generation Next – Dharv, Aayushi, Hitanshi, Neel and Rudra for their unfailing emotional support during formation of this book. I seek the same attitude and enthusiasm which my grandfather cherished all his life, and want them to practice in their own respective lives. I want this work to reflect.

Hitarth Jani

Karma Yogi Ratilal - Preface

Preface

Since my childhood, I have always heard about life of my Grand father, Ratilal Jani. Have always seen people talking about his terrific past and the way he has led his life. One day, while speaking to him, I asked him if he had a message for Young guns of our family. His message fascinated me. Later, I took courage to ask him about his recollections so that I could pen them down before they were buried under the sands of time.

At present he is 92 years of age. It’s very difficult for him to now recollect certain scenes of his own life. The conversation with him and the information he provided was not always easy to follow, but always fresh and stimulating. It took me days to organize each and every moment of his life in one pattern. It was difficult but challenging enough to rejuvenate my sleeping caliber within.

This book is written for my family members and generation to come here after. It would be so beneficial for the generations to come and know how legend their forefathers have been, how fascinating their personal stories have been and indeed it would also better to let them know what they accomplished in their life time.

For myself, writing this book has been absolute pilgrimage. It feels as if I am into another world. I may not have included all incidents among many narrated by my Grand Pa and others. I am solely responsible for such things, which are completely unintentional.