Ramnam Bank
{{Short description|Spiritual banks dedicated to Lord Rama}}
{{Infobox Hindu temple|name=Ramnam Bank
- Ram Naam Bank|native_name=रामनाम बैंक|native_name_lang=mai|religious_affiliation=Hinduism|deity=Lord Rama|location=Indian subcontinent|footnotes=Repository bank of Ramnam|image=Ramnam Hanumanji.jpg|caption=Artistic image of Lord Hanuman made using Ramnam by a devotee of Lord Rama}}
Ramnam Bank ({{langx|hi|रामनाम बैंक}}), also written as Ram Naam Bank, is a repository institution of Ramnam handwritten booklets. It is a spiritual bank that keeps deposits of Ramnams booklets written by devotees of Lord Rama.{{Cite news |last=Sinha |first=Arunav |date=2025-04-06 |title=Hindus in Europe, US mull opening 'Ram Naam Bank' overseas |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/nri/latest-updates/hindus-in-europe-us-mull-opening-ram-naam-bank-overseas/articleshow/120039709.cms?from=mdr |access-date=2025-06-05 |work=The Economic Times |issn=0013-0389}} It is a unique spiritual institution, primarily found in the Indian subcontinent, where devotees "deposit" booklets filled with the repeated writing of the name of Lord Rama (or sometimes other deities). These Ram Naams are handwritten by devotees.{{Cite book |last=Ramdas |first=Swami |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3II9AAAAIAAJ |title=Gospel of Swami Ramdas |date=1979 |publisher=For Anandashram by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan |language=en}}{{Cite book |last=Siṃha |first=Bhagavatī Prasāda |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gfsNAAAAMAAJ |title=Rāmabhakti, paramparā aura sāhitya |date=1974 |publisher=Hindī Vibhāga, Kalakattā Viśvavidyālaya ke lie Hindī Pustaka Ejensī |language=hi}} It is not monetary bank or financial institutions. It doesn't not involve monetary transactions; instead, the act of writing and depositing the sacred name of Lord Rama is considered a spiritual practice for gaining merit and fostering devotion.{{Cite book |last=Bhatty |first=Margaret R. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dz8eAAAAMAAJ |title=An Atheist Reports from India |date=1987 |publisher=American Atheist Press |isbn=978-0-910309-42-4 |language=en}} It is a bank where faith is the currency and the divine name is the deposit.{{Cite news |title=प्रयागराज का 'रामनाम बैंक':यहां आध्यात्मिक अकाउंट खुलता है, रुपए नहीं.. यहां जमा होता है राम नाम; लोन भी मिलता है |url=https://www.bhaskar.com/local/uttar-pradesh/prayagraj/news/ram-nam-bank-prayagraj-updates-opens-24-hours-never-stolen-withdraw-funds-whenever-you-want-works-in-both-online-offline-mode-130901934.html |work=Dainik Bhaskar}}{{Cite web |title=अनोखी पहल: रामनाम की पूंजी वाले बैंक को गिनीज बुक में दर्ज कराने की तैयारी, 1970 में शुरू हुआ था बैंक |url=https://www.amarujala.com/lucknow/ayodhya-efforts-start-to-file-ramnaam-capital-bank-into-guinness-book-of-world-records-2024-05-10 |access-date=2025-05-02 |website=Amar Ujala |language=hi}}{{Cite web |last=भाषा |first=पीटीआई- |date=2025-04-07 |title=अब UP की तरह यूरोप से अमेरिका तक खुलेगा 'राम नाम बैंक', रामनवमी पर किसने किया ऐलान |url=https://www.abplive.com/news/world/like-up-ram-naam-bank-will-open-from-europe-to-america-who-announced-it-on-ram-navami-knw-everything-2919837 |access-date=2025-05-02 |website=www.abplive.com |language=hi}}{{Cite web |date=2025-01-22 |title=महाकुंभ में रामनाम बैंक, जहां जमा के साथ श्रद्धालुओं को ऋण भी, देखें |url=https://www.aajtak.in/uttar-pradesh/video/lord-ram-name-bank-opened-in-mahakumbh-prayagraj-devotees-deposited-the-ram-name-slips-2147944-2025-01-22 |access-date=2025-05-02 |website=आज तक |language=hi}}
File:Sample of Ramnam Bank booklet.jpgThe Ramnam Bank is related to the tradition of Ramnam bhakti in Hinduism. In the tradition of Hinduism, Lord Rama is a major deity, considered as the seventh avatar of Lord Vishnu. Chanting or writing the name of Lord Rama is considered as auspicious karma by Hindu adherents. It is an important part of Vaishnava sect in Hinduism. Some devotees choose the path of reciting Ramnam orally whereas some devotees choose the path of writing Ramnam on papers. The Ramnam Bank keeps the record of number of Ramnams written by the devotees.
Etymology
Ramnam is combined Indic word having two terms Rama and Naam. The term Rama is the name of an avatar of Lord Vishnu in Hinduism. Similarly, the term Naam means name. Thus the meaning of the combined term Ramnam is name of Lord Rama. A general meaning of the term bank is a place or location where something is deposited. Thus the literal meaning of the Ramnam Bank is a bank of Lord Rama's name.{{Cite news |title=महाकुंभ में खुले इस बैंक में रुपये नहीं जमा हो रहे राम नाम, लोन पर देते हैं भगवान राम का नाम |url=https://www.livehindustan.com/uttar-pradesh/up-prayagraj-mahakumbh-ram-name-bank-open-with-more-than-one-crore-ram-name-submitted-201740104965489.html |work=Hindustan}}
Concept and functioning
Unlike conventional banks that deal with monetary transactions, Ramnam Banks facilitate the deposit of booklets filled with the repeated writing of "Ram" or "Sita Ram." Anyone willing to write the Lord Rama's name can open an account without any monetary deposit. The bank provides booklets and sometimes red ink and a wooden pen. The booklet is also known as the passbook of the Ramnam Bank. The name of Lord Rama is written only 108 times on each page of the passbook. The name of Lord Rama is considered as the currency of the bank.{{Cite book |last=Guptā |first=Kamalā |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4isOAAAAMAAJ |title=Hindī upanyāsoṃ meṃ sāmantavāda |date=1978 |publisher=Abhinava Prakāśana |language=hi}} Some devotees come to Ramnam Bank with different wishes. The Ramnam Bank also provides the facility of loan of the Ramnams.{{Cite book |last=Lāla |first=Lakshmī Nārāyaṇa |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-vwSAAAAMAAJ |title=Rūpājīvā |date=1973 |publisher=Pītāmbara Buka Ḍipo |language=hi}} After the fulfillment of the wishes, the borrower devotees have to return the loan of Ramnams with some interest. If a devotee takes a loan of one lakh Ramnams, then that devotee has to return minimum one and a half lakh Ramnams to the bank written on booklets or electronically.
Apart from writing repeated Ramnams on a booklet, some devotees also make artistic images of different deities by using Ramnams.
Locations
In the Indian subcontinent, there are several locations where Ramnam Banks have been established. The Ramnam Bank located in the city of Prayagraj is a major location. Every year during the Maghi Mela, a camp office of this bank opens at the Sangam Nose in Prayagraj.{{Cite web |last=Bharat |first=E. T. V. |date=2021-02-20 |title=इस बैंक में नहीं चलते रुपये डॉलर, बस चलता है 'राम नाम' |url=https://www.etvbharat.com/hindi/uttar-pradesh/state/prayagraj/ram-naam-bank-that-functions-without-money-in-magh-mela-at-prayagraj/up20210220135250180 |access-date=2025-05-03 |website=ETV Bharat News |language=hi}} It has inspired the Hindus of Indian origin living in Europe and America to open branches of the Ramnam Bank in their respective countries. Similarly, the Ramnam Bank at the Gautam Ashram in the Mithila region of Bihar is other major location. The Ramnam Bank of the Gautam Ashram is a pillar shaped approximately 27 feet high. It was established in the year 1967.{{Cite web |title=जनकपुर जाते समय राम ने बिहार के इस जिले में किया था अहिल्या का उद्धार, यहां पग-पग में होती है रामत्व की अनुभूति - Lord Shri Ram deliverance Mother Ahalya in Ahiyari of Darbhanga in Bihar here is detail |url=https://www.jagran.com/bihar/muzaffarpur-lord-shri-ram-deliverance-mata-ahalya-in-ahiyari-of-darbhanga-in-bihar-here-is-detail-23644161.html |access-date=2025-05-03 |website=Jagran |language=hi}}
In the city of Varanasi, the Ramnam Bank is 98 years old. It is called here as Ram Ramapati Bank. It is run by Ashish Mehrotra. Similarly in the city of Ayodhya, the Ramnam Bank is located at the Valmiki Ramayan Bhawan in the campus of the Maniramdas Chhabani in Ayodhya. The Ramnam Bank of the Ayodhya city is named as Antarrashtriya Shree Sitaram Bank. It has a total of 150 branches in India and abroad.{{Cite news |title=कैसे खुलता है अयोध्या के रामनामी बैंक में खाता, देश-विदेश तक फैले खाताधारक |url=https://www.livehindustan.com/uttar-pradesh/story-up-ayodhya-bank-safe-filled-with-sitaram-name-devotees-from-india-and-abroad-are-account-holders-9220929.html |work=Hindustan}}
In the city of Agra, a Ramnam Bank is being operated by Agra Pataka Seva Sansthan since the year 2000. It is connected to the Ramnam Bank located at Bichuna in Jaipur of Rajasthan.{{Cite web |title=ताजनगरी की अनूठा बैैंक, जहां धन नहीं बल्कि जमा होता है राम का नाम Agra News - collection of Ram naam in amazing bank |url=https://www.jagran.com/uttar-pradesh/agra-city-collection-of-ram-naam-in-amazing-bank-19762110.html |access-date=2025-05-03 |website=Jagran |language=hi}} In 2021, a Ramnam Bank was opened at the Shree Raj Rajeshwari Shiva Mandir in the Patiala city of Punjab state. It is named as Shree Ram Nam Bank (SRNB).{{Cite web |title=पटियाला के मंदिर में अनोखा बैंक, जमा होता है 'राम नाम', अब तक 250 भक्तों ने खुलवाया खाता - Ram Naam Bank, Unique bank in Patiala temple, Ram Naam gets deposited in the account Jagran Special |url=https://www.jagran.com/punjab/ludhiana-unique-bank-in-patiala-temple-ram-naam-gets-deposited-in-the-account-jagran-special-21953107.html |access-date=2025-05-03 |website=Jagran |language=hi}}
History
The concept of the Ramnam Bank is old, with some banks tracing their history back to the 1870s. The Ramnam Bank of Prayagraj was established in 1870. It was founded by the ancestors of Ashutosh Varshney. The bank is presently managed by Ashutosh Varshney. According to him, earlier our ancestors used to write the name of Lord Rama on Bhoj Patra. Later, the name of Lord Rama was written on ledgers or papers.