There is a unique and one and only bank in Varanasi where people take a loan from the representative of God. Yes, you read correctly! People in Varanasi take the debt for a specific period and repay it without fault. They are never defaulters. It is Ram Ramapati Bank of Varanasi.

As known, Kashi is the city of conviction at the riverbank of Ganga. People worldwide come to Varanasi to forget their worries and relax in Spirituality.

Kashi holds tremendous importance in Hinduism. People visit Varanasi to take a bath in the holy waters of the Ganges with the belief to wash all their sins.

People cleanse their wrongs, but what about their virtues? Isn’t there any provision in this great city to deposit their goodness? Ram Ramapati Bank Varanasi is the place where you deposit your earned righteousness. Are you mystified? But it is accurate, and people believe this truth with complete faith.

The name of the Lord is said to bring salvation. This unusual concept of a spiritual bank tells us how people all over India seek salvation. The best time to witness this is during the festival of Ram Navami which falls this year on April 11.

Ram Ramapati Bank was established in 1826 in Varanasi. Its founder Manager was Late Das C. Lal and the present Manager is Das Basudev Prasad who is presently serving this bank with his grandchildren. The bank has an Accountant, it has safe deposits and meticulously maintained accounts of the bank’s holdings. However, the bank is not controlled by the Reserve Bank of India but its account holders comprise nonresident Indians and local people running into several lakhs. On the last day of the festival of Ramnavami, the closing account of the bank was 16 crore 84 lakhs. Well, we are not talking about currency deposits but taking a close look at India’s unique spiritual bank.

In this bank ‘account holders’ are worshipers of Ram and they write Ram-Ram with auspicious red ink running into 1025 lakh in number and deposit it in this unique bank. The interest they earn is solace and emancipation from the sorrows of life. The concept of this bank was conceived by Sri Baba Santram Das who was a disciple of Swami Nathji. Shri C. Lal met while bathing at Prayag, Baba Santram, and, on his advice, this ‘bank’ was opened 72 years ago and it is still thriving with around one lakh disciples from all over the world. Present Manager Das Basudev Prasad explained that “this unique institution was christened ‘Bank’ because in those days banks were in vogue and people considered banks were in vogue and people considered banks their treasure houses and hence this bank came into being with spiritual connotation. But we do not advertise, we do not have any nameplate and I am serving with my sons and grandsons with the mission of service and so our name is prefixed with ‘Das’ or servant of god.”

The bank is open daily from 12 noon to 4 pm and people from all walks of life come and pay tribute to Ram. In Indian tradition, celestial names are no mere pronouns but a linkage between celestial power and ordinary man. It is believed that if you utter ‘Ram’ you will realize that the omnipotent sacred sound om is hidden within it: Raum. When the disciple pronounces it a celestial sound within the body and mind revolves and purifies a person’s endeavor. Similarly, when a person writes this name with red ink one is besmeared with the celestial name which purifies the soul and gives respite from pain and sorrow.

People from all walks of life cutting across caste, creed, and religious barriers can become its member. For the poor, the paper on which to write Ram-Ram is made available by the Trust free of cost. Das Vasudev Prasad said that “thousands of people have experienced the miracle of this Ram naam (name) and got solace.” Moreover, the present Manager is a renowned astrologer.

It is gathered that in several other small towns people have opened such banks and claim to be a branch of Ram Ramapati Bank. However, this bank declares that it has no branch and operates only from Varanasi.

One can become a member of the bank by paying just one rupee or four rupees by post. A code of conduct for ‘emancipation’ is prescribed. Every account holder has to write Ram-Ram totaling 1,25,000 times to cover the first phase. During this time one is not allowed to consume alcohol or meat. The member has to write Ram-Ram 250 times for 500 days. Thereafter one has to chant Ram-Ram twice daily, morning and evening. Its frequency gradually rises to 19 times in the morning and 19 times in the evening and then, in the third year, it becomes 27 times. The whole process is completed in 21 months. A booklet is then given which defines dharma, artha, kama, and moksha. One has to recite it every morning. Apart from this, the bank has a wide range of rules enforced by the present manager.

On Ram Navami, day piles of paper with Ram-Ram written in different scripts are placed on the temple premises and disciples do parikrama (circumambulate around it.

There also exists a ‘Gayatri’ bank in Hardwar, another sacred city of India where one writes the Gayatri mantra. India is a land of sacred names and though methodology may differ from place to place the goal remains the same – to achieve baikuntha (heaven) and experience spiritual bliss in our mortal life too.

The Notion Behind This Especial Concept

As per the trustees of Ram Ramapati Bank, this bank is approximately 94 years old, and they believe that Ram Lalla himself is present here. In the year 1926, Shri Das Chhannu Lal Ji brought Ram Lalla to this temple. Since that very time, this temple is the residence of God. His spiritual preacher asked him to devote his life to Ram Lalla’s service.

The Ram Ramapati Bank gives a special Roli to its members. The story behind this Roli is that once the ancestors of the present trustees went to Ganga ghat, one sage gave some pious Roli to him. He brought that Roli and kept it inside his temple. The caretakers never empty the Roli pot and fill fresh Roli into it. They believe that part of that pious Roli is still present in that pot from that day onwards.

The Ideology of Ram Ramapati Bank

Can you even imagine that only a religious bank has millions in its account? The Ram Ramapati Bank is rich, but the trustees never keep valuables inside lock and key. It is incredible, isn’t it? In fact, the trustees keep the treasure in bundles, and there is no security outside the premises but only belief. These bundles are the treasure of Ram Ramapati Bank, yet the caretakers never guard it. Again, belief enters the mind- the belief that no one will steal Ram Lalla’s treasure. In fact, the most valuable treasure is not money, but it is the sheets of paper with ‘Ram-Ram’ written on them in red ink.

If the people do not deposit cash, why is this holy place called a bank and not a temple? The reason is that, in this temple, people give an application to the Ram Lalla to fulfill their wishes. Meanwhile, they deposit handwritten ‘Ram- Ram as a token of gratitude. They have faith that with this deposit, the bank will grant their wishes. This deposit is the asset of the bank, the asset that they cherish with respect in their hearts.

‘Beliefs generate hope, with hope motivation comes, and an encouraged person puts true efforts to convert dreams into reality.’

Procedure To Take Debt

Ram Ramapati Bank is unique in all dimensions. The trustees think that Prabhu only runs this bank, and they are the medium. Like you open a bank account in any commercial bank, you have to open a spiritual account with Ram Ramapati Bank Banaras. You open this account in the presence of Prabhu Ram. By doing this, you request the lord to fulfill your wish. In return for your request, the bank will give you sheets of paper, an ink bottle, powder red ink, and a pen.

After receiving these things from the bank, you start writing on the sheet. For this, pour some pure water into the empty ink bottle and some pinches of powdered red ink. Now, daily at a particular time and place, write ‘Ram-Ram’ on the provided sheet with the given pen. Daily you have to write ram-ram for continuous eight months and ten days. The count of these days starts from the day of taking the loan. Thus, you will finish writing the holy name 25,000 times by the end of this period.

Ram Ramapati Bank Location

Ram Ramapati Bank is at Dasaswamedh ghat of Varanasi. The clientele of Ram Ramapti Bank Varanasi is spread across the world. There is no bar of nationality, caste, religion, or gender for becoming a member. It gives the loan in the name of Shri Ram for a specific time frame. During this period, the loan taker will write Ram’s name on the sheet of paper. The loan is considered repaid only when the loan taker returns the sheets of paper. After this, the bank will conduct a ritual to increase prosperity and bring containment on behalf of the client.

FAQs

Q- Is there any mandatory condition for taking a loan from Lord Ram?

A - Take a bath before writing the sacred name, and avoid non-vegetarian foods, garlic, and onions for the duration of the time.

Q - What is Ram Ramapati bank contact number?

A - The contact number is 099188 87999, and the address is D5/35, Tripura Bhairwi Rd, Dasaswamedh, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh 221001.

Q - Does the Ram Ramapati Bank ask for any monetary deposit?

A - The bank makes no demand. It provides a pen, sheets of paper, and ink, free of cost. It invests its own money to keep the records safe for years.

References:

indiaprofile.com