Ram Gopal Mehra and Lalit Mehra

Shri Ram Gopal Mehra was an old devotee of Shri Nathji who knew Him since 1930’s ever since the days of Shri Babaji Maharaj at Amritsar. This relationship had continued over the ears at Lahore, Rawalpindi and at Delhi. Shri Ram Gopal Mehra had arranged the program of Shri Nathji at the Gopal Mandir in Lahore, which was attendant by thousands of people. (A blog has been posted earlier on the Gopal Mandir - http://adventoftheavatar.blogspot.in/2012/07/temple-in-lahore.html ) Shri Ram Gopal Mehra’s wife Tara Vati was also devoted to Shri Nathji. Shri Ram Gopal Verma, her wife and adopted son Lalit used to come for Shri Nathji’s Darshan at Delhi when He used to come with his family to the plains in the 1950’s. His son Lalit was young and used to play with Shri Priya Nathji and Shri Pran Nathji. When he came with his parent in 1953 to Shri Nathjis residence at 31/22, East Patel Nagar New Delhi, he was surprised to see the expensive Bayko and Meccano building sets with Shri Priya Nathji and Shri Pran Nathji. Even his millionaire father has not purchased these for him.

Shri Ram Gopal Mehra was also in Rawalpindi with Shri Nathji in 1937 when He cooked a Chaappati and distributed it as a parshad, a great famine which was there at that time in India was thus lifted.  There was a time when Ram Gopal Mehra, as a young man was going on a tour of Europe along with his father. He did not wished to leave Shri Nathji at Lahore as Shri Nathji was indisposed. He offered to cancel his trip but Shri NAthji insisted that he accompany his father. Ram Gopal Mehra wrote a Blank cheque in Shri Nathji’s name, but Shri Nathji returned it saying that his good wishes are enough. While in Europe he fell seriously ill and had to have an operation. He wrote a letter to Shri Nathji and then went and had the operation, which was a tremendous success.

After Partition, Shri Ram Gopal Mehra  settled in New Dellhi and become a famous businessman. He was also a great Philanthropist. Ram Gopal Mehra founded the The Tara Vati Ram Gopal Mehra Foundation in1968, on the demise of his wife, late Tara Vati Mehra. It had its beginning when he requested the IIT Delhi to name the scholarship being given by his son Lalit Mehra from his income from the Merit scholarship he received during his student days, in memory of late Tara Vati Mehra, and the IIT made the formation of a Trust conditional to acceptance of this request.  The forming of the Foundation was the beginning of the fulfillment of his dream to serve the community as he was greatly pained when he saw millions like him being displaced Pakistan during the days of the partition. This Foundation now runs a spacious Medical Centre in a needy and congested part of New Delhi, with a full time charitable OPD. (Its Photograph is given on the left) Two charitable Homeopathic Dispensaries in New Delhi and a Primary School with a feeder Nursery Class having a strength of over 300 children in the heart of New Delhi.

His adopted son Lalit  was very good in studies and received his Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Delhi in 1966 with Director’s Gold Medal for being the best all round student. He also received the Institute Silver Medal for having stood first in his Department. He specialized in the sale of equipment, material and know-how for the wire & cable industry. He was responsible for the initial technology tie up of some of the country’s most successful telephone cable companies. He had served as the President of the Rotary Club of Delhi South. He was Chairman of the Polioplus Campaign Committee for India, Sri Lanka and Nepal when he was responsible for raising the region's share of contribution of funds for the purchase of Oral Polio Vaccine. Under his leadership, the region surpassed its target of USD 4.2 million during 1987-88 when Rotary International raised USD 220 million globally. He has also been responsible for the formation of the Rotary Foundation (India) in order to channel contributions from Indian Rotarians. In addition to his Rotary Activity, Lalit Mehra also played a leading role in establishing the Alwar Public School.

He is also actively participating and administering the Tara Vati Ram Gopal Mehra Foundation which was founded by his father. He is married to Renu Mehra. He has two children, daughter Priya, who is married to Rajesh Khanna and Pran Mehra who is married to Pia Mehra.