SHRI GIRDHARI LAL. JAIN
(1891-11-4-1975)
Greatly religious minded Shri Girdhari Lai Jain was a leading paper merchant of Delhi. He was born at Bhiwani (Haryana). His father Sh. Birdhi Chand Jain (1868-1943) had shifted from Bhiwani to Delhi in 1881 where he had set up commission agency business. He later switched over to brokerage in finance.
He went back to Bhiwani in 1907 for reason of his bad health and started Narsingh Das Girdhari Lai, a grain commission agency firm. He again migrated to Delhi as Finance Broker in 1911. Shri Girdhari Lai, who also joined him in this business, set up his paper firm M/s Birdhi Chand Girdhari Lai in Khari Baoli, Delhi in 1925.
A year after he set up M/s. Birdhi Chand and Sons in Chawri Bazar. It was followed by shifting of M/s. Birdhi Chand Girdhari Lai from Khari Baoli to Chawri Bazar and establishment of firms M/s. Naunag Ram Sumer Chand Jain and Girdhari Lai Padam Kumar.
Appointed distributor of mills in 1927, his firms are now distributors of Titagarh Paper Mills, Indian Paper Pulp Co. and Deccan Paper Mill. The manufacture of copies, files and account books (Bahis) started about 23years back is now undertaken on a large scale covering about 400 items of stationery.
He has his business branches also at Agra and Calcutta. He was a big importer of paper, jute and cloth from foreign countries. His only son Shri Sumer Chand Jain, married in 1942, has four sons—Shri Padam Kumar. Sh. Anand Kumar, Sh. Gautam Kumar and Sh. Vinod Kumar Jain and three daughters. All his sons are engaged in the prosperous paper business.
The family has throughout been great devotee of Jain Swetamber Terapanthi saints and had the credit of arranging for the first time their arrival in Delhi. Of charitable mind, Sh. Girdhari Lai and his brother late Sh. Naunag Ram had set up Birdhi Chand Jain Charitable Trust in Naya Bazar around 1960 in memory of their late father. The family building in which the trust is situated was donated by them to it.
Later on, the family also donated their old house situated in Hyderkuli, Delhi to Ramanandi Trust created by them Deeply religious minded Smt. Ramanandi wife of Sh. Girdhari Lai had observed fast for eight days. Shri Girdhari Lai held senior positions in the trade and religious circles of Delhi.
He was President of Delhi Paper Merchants Association for about 25 years and of Jain Swetamber Terapanthi Sabha Delhi for about 20 years. He was President of Delhi Pradesh Anuvrat Samiti and Vice-President of Jain Swetamber Terapanthi Mahasabha (Calcutta) for about 20—25 years.
