Dharamdas Gulati, "MDH Dadaji", King Of Spices, Philanthropist

Dharampal Gulati, the king of spices and owner of the iconic masala brand MDH, died on December 3 at the age of 97. Mr Gulati, also fondly known as dadaji and Mahashayji, was a second-generation entrepreneur. He was born on March 27, 1923 in Sialkot (now, Pakistan) and migrated to India after partition.

Dharampal Gulati dropped out of school in class 5 and joined his father's business in Sialkot. He migrated to India after partition and opened a shop at Karol Bagh in Delhi. This has now transformed into a Rs 1,500 crore empire, with 15 factories supplying 1000 dealers across the country.

Dharampal Gulati was also also a well-known philanthropist. He started a super-specialty hospital at Janakpuri, New Delhi, in the year 1984 in memory of his mother Mata Chanan Devi. The hospital is not only renowned for its facilities in Cardiology and Neuro Sciences, but also for providing free medical aid to the poorest of the poor.

Mr Gulati also opened around 20 quality schools to provide good education to the young, with a special focus on the disadvantaged segments of society. He is associated with various educational institutions, such as MDH International School, Mahashay Chunnilal Saraswati Shishu Mandir, Mata Leela Wati Kanya Vidhayalan and Mahashay Dharmpal Vidhya Mandir, among others.

Dharampal Gulati was awarded the Padma Bhushan, India's third highest civilian award, in 2019 for his yeoman services to society.