AHMEDABAD, July 11, 2013: An appeal for donations for relief and rescue work in Uttarakhand made by noted kathakar Morari Bapu has fetched Rs 9.11 crore. The money was contributed mainly by NRIs living in Bakersfield, US, and also by Bapu's followers in London. 

Bapu has entrusted the details of the relief work that is to be funded by these donations to Karnavati Club Foundation. Girish Dani, secretary of Karnavati Club, says, "After the floods, Bapu decided that an appeal should be made. To begin with, he made a request for Rs 1 lakh, but donations kept pouring in. On day one, a sum of Rs 1.68 crore was collected, and after nine days of katha, the collected funds amounted to Rs 9.11 crore." One of the devotees, a Londoner, called up Bapu and donated Rs 1 core. 

There was a daily announcement of the names of the donors along with their registration number. In order to avoid controversies, the funds were collected in Indian Rupees only. The appeal made in Bakersfield also resonated in India, with another two crore collected from Ahmedabad. So far, the foundation has gathered around Rs 11 crore. 

Dani said that Bapu is returning to Gujarat on Sunday. Morari Bapu and Dani will then meet and decide how the funds are to be utilized. "Primarily, we intend to adopt a village and rehabilitate it," Dani said.

Source: The Times of India, DT. July 11, 2013.