Not in Blood but in Bond: Mahesh Savani is a proud father of 472 daughters

• Mahesh Savani was inspired to help fatherless daughters after his brother died
• This year in 2016, 216 of his daughters will be married
• Savani is now able to foster 472 young women who have lost their fathers

AHMEDABAD: A staggering number that leads many people to question, how? Mahesh Savani, a businessman, is the proud father of 472 daughters. Not in blood but in bond. These daughters are not biologically his; rather, he serves as a generous father figure to these girls.

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Mahesh Savani lost his brother years ago. This left Savani not only heartbroken, but his two nieces were left without a father; Savani stepped in. This moved him to think of other girls who are left without a father. He says, "It is challenging for a woman who has lost her husband to get her daughter married." Hina Kathiriya, whose father passed away six years ago got married in 2015, she says, "Mahesh papa is just a message away when we need him," said the TOI report.

Savani's interests range from realty, to school, and diamonds; a family business. He comes from the Raparda village of Bhavnagar, where his father came 40 years earlier. Originally his father was a diamond polisher, eventually turning into a unit. This unit is still in the family name, and is very prosperous.

According to TOI, Savani is now able to foster 472 young women who have lost their fathers. He helps them get married and supports them throughout their married life. Since the family business is successful, Savani can afford to spend over Rs 4 lakh on each daughter's wedding. The girls get everything they need in order to start a home; clothes, utensils, and electronics. They also receive silver and gold. This year alone, Savani will help 216 girls get married. He does not prejudice against different religions, or different castes.

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"Mahesh papa is more than a father to me. I wish every girl in the world gets a father like him," said Naheda Banu. She lost her father when she was just a child, and she married Arif in 2014.

-prepared by Abigail Andrea is an intern at NewsGram. Twitter @abby_kono

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