Shri Haresh Chellaram

Born on 28th February 1940 in Karachi (Pakistan) Shri Haresh is the youngest and the eighth child of Pujya Dada Chellaramji. From childhood, he accompanied Dadaji on Tabla and took an important part in kirtan. He obtained B.Com (Hons) Degree from the University of Delhi in 1960. Then, he served in a private office for some years.

In 1968 he joined Didi Kamlaji in her Kirtan Yatra of East Africa and England for about eight to nine months. After returning from Foreign Kirtan Yatra, he reentered a private job to earn his livelihood. On 27th March 1971, he got married to Urmil Chhabra, daughter of Haridas Chhabra and Nikki Devi (now one of the founder members of the Institution). In March 1973 he left his job, went to Kuwait with his family, and took up business. Despite having a big company there he continued kirtan in Kuwait and attended every Maha Kirtan Yagya and visited the Ashram at least once a year.

On the sacred day of Guru Nanak Sahib’s Birthday in 1980 at Nij Thanw, Mumbai, Didi Kamla Devi inducted him as one of the ‘Niraguna Baliks’ and he became one of the founder members of the Mandal. In 1984 he gave up his business and came down to Mumbai and since then he is entirely devoted to the Institution taking care of Mumbai Circle in particular and all the Circles in general. He became Member-in-charge of Mumbai Circle after Didi Shanti Devi left for her heavenly abode on 3rd February 1995. He is the father of three children and became a grandfather on the 18th of January 2000.

He was unanimously elected as the Trustee of the institution after the demise of Didi Radhika Devi on 2nd May 2017. He has since administered the entire institution with utmost devotion with his entire family by his side which includes his children, Hemant, Yogeeta and Mala. He has undertaken many yatras all over India and overseas to take forward the legacy of Dadaji. During Radhika Didi’s trusteeship, he singlehandedly oversaw the construction of the Ashram mandir, Dadaji’s Kutia, Blocks 1 and 5 and the huge Krishna hall used every Janmashtami. This was a mammoth task that took about 13 years to complete.

He has groomed his youngest daughter, Mala, to follow the path of Dadaji in terms of kirtan and administration of the temples. He has tried very hard to pull many people on this path, shaped many lives and influenced people towards spirituality.