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Morari Bapu Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

Quick Info

Date of birth25 September 1946

Age78 Years

BirthplaceTalgajarda, Bhavnagar District, Gujarat

ProfessionSpiritual Leader and Preacher

NationalityIndian

Marital statusWidower

SpouseNarmadaben

FamilySon - Parthiv Hariyani; Daughters - Bhavana Modi, Prasanna Patel, Sobhana Hariyani

Morari Bapu Biography

Morari Bapu (Moraridas Prabhudas Hariyani) is an Indian spiritual leader and storyteller best known for his Ram Katha recitations. Born in Gujarat in 1946,

Early life and background

Moraridas Prabhudas Hariyani, widely known as Morari Bapu, was born on 25 September 1946 in Talgajarda in the Bhavnagar district of Gujarat. He grew up in a family with strong devotional influences: his grandfather taught him verses from the Ramcharitmanas from an early age, and by the time he was twelve he had recited the entire Ramayana. His upbringing included close contact with his grandparents and exposure to traditional devotional songs and stories.

Bapu completed his schooling at the Higher Secondary School in Talgajarda and later attended Shahpur Training School in Junagadh, where he completed a teacher vocational course. He worked as a schoolteacher at J. Parekh High School in Mahuva for more than a decade before becoming best known as a preacher and spiritual storyteller.

Career

Morari Bapu is a spiritual leader and katha preacher associated with the Vaishnava Nimbarka lineage. He delivered his first public Ram Katha at age fourteen at Ramji Mandir in Talgajarda, and his first international Katha took place in Nairobi in 1976. Over the decades he has conducted hundreds of Ram Kathas in India and around the world, including in the United States, United Kingdom, Brazil, Bhutan, Dubai, Australia, South Africa and Kenya.

He has a long record of charitable and cultural activities tied to his Kathas. His trusts and followers have organized and contributed to relief efforts, and on occasions he has used his platform to raise substantial donations for disaster relief and other causes. Bapu has also supported music and the arts in Gujarat, presenting awards and participating in longstanding cultural events such as the Sankat Mochan Sangeet Mahotsav.

Public profile

Morari Bapu is known for a simple personal style and consistent devotional practice. He commonly sits behind a copy of the Ramcharitmanas draped in hand-spun cloth and is often seen wearing a black shawl, a habit he has explained as connected to family memory and devotional tradition. He belongs to a lineage in which the honorific "Bapu" is used for children, and he is sometimes followed by other saints who adopt similar dress and presentation.

His public engagements have ranged beyond devotional recitation. He has met and collaborated with other spiritual leaders and has convened interfaith events, including a World Religions Dialogue and Symphony Conference held in Mahuva in 2009 that was inaugurated by the Dalai Lama. He has been invited to a variety of civic and cultural occasions, and political figures have often visited events where he has presided.

Bapu has used his Kathas to reach communities that are often marginalized. His programmes have included Kathas for transgender people, sex workers, soldiers, and other groups. He has been among the first religious figures to visit women in Mumbai’s red light area and has supported initiatives such as free education for needy students and cultural preservation projects.

Controversies

Across his long public life, Morari Bapu has been involved in a number of public controversies and disputes reported in the press. These incidents have involved questions raised about statements he made during Kathas, disagreements with particular communities and organizations over religious remarks, and other public criticisms that have been the subject of media coverage.

Personal life and family

Morari Bapu’s full name is Moraridas Prabhudas Hariyani. He was married to Narmadaben Hariyani and is the father of one son, Parthiv Hariyani, and three daughters: Bhavana Modi, Prasanna Patel and Sobhana Hariyani. He was raised in a large family and has multiple siblings. His parents are Prabhudas Bapu Hariyani and Savitri Ben Hariyani.

He has maintained ties to his hometown area in Bhavnagar district; his trust’s address is based in Talgajarda, Mahuva. In interviews he has described his roots in poverty and emphasized accessibility: he has said his aim is to make the Ram Katha available to neglected and marginalized people.

Latest updates

Morari Bapu has continued to be active in organising and delivering Kathas, meeting other spiritual leaders, and supporting cultural programmes. His work has included international travel for recitations and charity drives. The available records list his age as 78 years as of 2024 and note longstanding public activities and charitable work connected to his Kathas and trust activities.

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Reference context: StarsUnfolded

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Recent Work

Ram Kathas and Relief Fundraising

Continued series of Ram Katha recitations held in India and internationally, with fundraising and charitable disbursements for disaster relief and social causes.

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Career Highlights

  1. Delivered first Ram Katha at age fourteen in Talgajarda.
  2. Conducted Kathas internationally, including Nairobi in 1976 and many countries thereafter.
  3. Organised the World Religions Dialogue and Symphony Conference in Mahuva in 2009 inaugurated by the Dalai Lama.
  4. Supported cultural events such as the Sankat Mochan Sangeet Mahotsav and awarded artists and scholars.
Reviewed by F4U Editorial Desk

F4U profile pages are prepared from public career information, checked for readability, and updated when reliable correction sources are shared with the editorial team.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Morari Bapu born?

Morari Bapu was born on 25 September 1946.

What is Morari Bapu known for?

Morari Bapu is known for spiritual Leader and Preacher.

What is Morari Bapu’s marital status?

Morari Bapu's marital status is listed as Widower.

Who is Morari Bapu married to?

Morari Bapu is publicly listed as married to Narmadaben.