Amidst the bustling Maha Kumbh Mela, there is a unique bank that does not deal in money but in faith. Shri Ram Bank, an institution with a 150-year-old legacy, offers “loans” to devotees in the form of “Ram Naam” (the name of Lord Ram). The bank encourages people to write the name of Lord Ram, and the response has been overwhelming, with millions of “Ram Naam” written and circulated so far.
The bank's temporary branch was set up in Sector 6 of the Kumbh Mela on December 22. According to its custodian, Ashutosh Varshney, this bank operates just like any other-complete with loan disbursals, EMIs (equated monthly installments), and meticulous record-keeping. “The minimum loan is for writing 1.5 lakh 'Ram Naam,' but devotees can take more if they wish. The writing is done in specially printed booklets provided for free, and every page records the number of 'Ram Naam' written,” Varshney explained.
How the System Works
Devotees return the filled booklets to the bank, which are then used to grant loans to others. For instance, if a devotee takes a loan of 1.5 lakh “Ram Naam,” they repay it by writing and submitting the same number. To date, over 25 individuals have taken loans to write crores of “Ram Naam,” with the final data expected to be released after the Maha Kumbh concludes.
The bank accepts entries in multiple languages, including Hindi, English, Urdu, and Bengali. Anyone aged between six and 80 years can take a loan, but there are conditions-borrowers must abstain from consuming meat, alcohol, garlic, and onions while fulfilling their loan. “The only requirement is a photograph for identification,” said Rajkumar, a bank promoter at the Kumbh branch.
The initiative has also drawn international devotees. Among them are Henk Kelman from the Netherlands, who now goes by the name Ramkrishna Das, and Sonal Singh, an Indian-origin resident of the U.S. Both have taken loans to write one crore “Ram Naam” each.
From Ledger Books to E-Ram
Tracing the bank's history, Ashutosh Varshney revealed, “I am the fifth generation in this tradition. It began with traders in the Chowk area who donated 10% of their earnings for social causes. Writing 'Ram Naam' emerged from this practice. Initially, it was recorded in ledger books, later in printed booklets, and now, we have introduced 'E-Ram' for digital transactions through social media platforms.”