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{{Short description|Spiritual Master and Leader from India}}
{{use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2019}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Kamlesh D. Patel (Daaji)
| image = Kamlesh D Patel (Daaji).jpg
| caption =
| birth_name = Kamlesh Desaibhai Patel
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1956
|09|28|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Kala, Gujarat|Kala]], [[Gujarat]], India
| spouse =
| children =
| title = President of [[Shri Ram Chandra Mission]], Global Guide of Heartfulness Institute, Founder of Heartfulness Education Trust, Managing Trustee of Sahaj Marg Spirituality Foundation
| predecessor = [[Shri Parthasarathi Rajagopalachari]]
| organization = [[Shri Ram Chandra Mission]], Heartfulness Institute, Heartfulness Education Trust
| notable_works = ''The Heartfulness Way (2018)''
| awards = [[Padma Bhushan]]
| website = [http://daaji.org/ Daaji.org]
}}

'''Kamlesh D. Patel''' (born 1956) also known as '''Daaji''' among his followers, is a spiritual leader, author and the fourth in the line of [[Rāja yoga]] masters in the [[Sahaj Marg]] system of spiritual practice.<ref>{{cite news|title=शारीरिक-मानसिक शांति का आधार है 'ध्यान|url=https://www.livehindustan.com/uttar-pradesh/meerut/story-meditation-start-in-meerut-1726639.html|publisher=[[Hindustan (newspaper)|Hindustan]]|date=2018-01-02|location=[[Meerut]]}}</ref> He has been the president of [[Shri Ram Chandra Mission]], a non-profit organization founded in 1945 and associated with the [[United Nations Department of Public Information]], since 2014.<ref name="UN NGO">{{cite web |title=United Nations Civil Society Participation – General |url=https://esango.un.org/civilsociety/showProfileDetail.do?method=showProfileDetails&profileCode=610124 |website=esango.un.org |publisher=UN NGO |access-date=1 August 2021}}</ref>

==Early life==

Kamlesh Patel was born in [[Gujarat]] in 1956. He trained as a pharmacist in [[Ahmedabad]], and as a pharmacy student he started practising the Sahaj Marg system of [[Raja Yoga]] meditation in 1976 under the guidance of [[Ram Chandra (Babuji)|Ram Chandra]] of [[Shahjahanpur]].

==Professional life==

He moved to [[New York City]] after graduating with honours from L M College of Pharmacy, [[Ahmedabad]]. In America, he did his post graduate degree and built a [[pharmaceutical]] business while being married and raising two sons.

==Sahaj Marg==

Kamlesh Patel started practising Sahaj Marg in 1976, when he was a pharmacology student, under the guidance of a trainer. He subsequently received training from [[Ram Chandra (Babuji)|Ram Chandra]]. After Ram Chandra’s passing in 1983, Patel became a disciple of [[Parthasarathi Rajagopalachari]] (Chariji), the second president of Shri Ram Chandra Mission. In October 2011, he was nominated as Chariji's successor and after Chariji's death in December 2014, he became the spiritual guide of Sahaj Marg system and third president of Shri Ram Chandra Mission. He has conducted various workshops on spirituality across India, USA and many different parts of the world.<ref>{{cite web |title=God is within you. Get in touch |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/kochi/2019/feb/01/god-is-within-you-get-in-touch-1933022.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190205031426/http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/kochi/2019/feb/01/god-is-within-you-get-in-touch-1933022.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=5 February 2019 |website=The New Indian Express |access-date=3 August 2021}}</ref>

==Awards and recognition==

In 2018, Kamlesh Patel was conferred an [[honorary doctorate]] from [[Sri Venkateswara University]].<ref>{{cite news |title='Be calm by positioning in the centre' |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/be-calm-by-positioning-in-the-centre-says-kamlesh-desaibhai-patel/article25281534.ece |access-date=27 March 2021 |work=The Hindu |agency= |date=22 October 2018 |language=en-IN}}</ref> In 2020, he received the Ramkrishna Bajaj Memorial Global Award from the Priyadarshini Academy.<ref name="Priyadarshni Academy">{{cite web |title=Priyadarshni Academy 36th Anniversary Global Awards 2020 Honoured Stalwarts Including Mr. Børge Brende, President, World Economic Forum, Bollywood Actor Ms. Taapsee Pannu |url=https://www.businesswireindia.com/priyadarshni-academy-36th-anniversary-global-awards-2020-honoured-stalwarts-including-mr-borge-brende-president-world-economic-forum-bollywood-actor-ms-taapsee-pannu-69591.html |website=www.businesswireindia.com |language=en}}</ref> In 2023, he was awarded the [[Padma Bhushan]], a civilian award given for "distinguished service of a high order" in India<ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-01-25 |title=Full list of 2023 Padma awards |language=en-IN |work=[[The Hindu]] |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/full-list-of-2023-padma-awards-mulayam-singh-yadav-sm-krishna-zakir-hussain-kumar-mangalam-birla-among-recipients/article66433516.ece |access-date=2023-01-26 |issn=0971-751X}}</ref> as well as the UK-India Triumph Awards from the ABPL Group.<ref>{{cite news |title=Celebrating community service and philanthropy across the two nations |url=https://www.asian-voice.com/News/UK/Celebrating-community-service-and-philanthropy-across-the-two-nations |access-date=1 January 2025 |work=www.asian-voice.com}}</ref> In 2024, Kamlesh Patel was recognized as the Global Ambassador of Peacebuilding and Faith by the Commonwealth<ref>{{cite news |last1=Service |first1=Express News |title=Spiritual Mahotsav concludes, Daaji conferred with Commonwealth title |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/telangana/2024/Mar/18/spiritual-mahotsav-concludes-daaji-conferred-with-commonwealth-title |access-date=1 January 2025 |work=The New Indian Express |date=18 March 2024 |language=en}}</ref> and granted the Freedom of the City of London by the City of London Corporation.<ref>{{cite news |title=Spiritual leader and author Daaji awarded Freedom of the City of London |url=https://news.cityoflondon.gov.uk/spiritual-leader-and-author-daaji-awarded-freedom-of-the-city-of-london/ |access-date=1 January 2025 |work=Spiritual leader and author Daaji awarded Freedom of the City of London |language=en}}</ref>

==Books==
Patel co-authored a book called ''[[The Heartfulness Way]]'' with Joshua Pollock in 2018.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Nadadhur|first1=Srivathsan|title=The Heartfulness Way: An accessible and effective journey|url=http://www.thehindu.com/books/books-authors/the-heartfulness-way-an-accesible-and-effective-journey/article22609208.ece|work=[[The Hindu]]|date=January 31, 2018}}</ref> A sequel was published in 2025.

His book ''Designing Destiny'' was released in February 2019.<ref>{{cite press release|title=Daaji's new book on how to design one's destiny|url=https://www.theweek.in/wire-updates/national/2019/03/04/lst4-book-destiny.html |publisher=theweek.in |agency=[[Press Trust of India|PTI]] |date=4 March 2019 |accessdate=27 March 2021}}</ref>

A book named ''The Wisdom Bridge'' was released in 2022.

His fourth book, ''Spiritual Anatomy: Meditation, Chakras, and the Journey to the Center'', was released in US and Canada in October 2023 and later at other places including India.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-10-24 |title=FROM INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING AUTHOR KAMLESH D. PATEL THE ULTIMATE BOOK OF MEDITATION AND CHAKRAS THAT WILL HELP YOU REACH YOUR GREATEST POTENTIAL AND LEAD YOU TO YOUR AUTHENTIC SELF |url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/international-bestselling-author-kamlesh-d-202500887.html |access-date=2023-10-25 |website=Yahoo Finance |language=en-US}}</ref>

He has also written a book called ''The Power of Paradox''. It was released in late 2024.

A book - ''Holy Tirthankars In the Light of Heartfulness,'' which he has co-authored with B. Rathinasabapathy was released in 2025.

== References ==
{{Reflist|2}}

== External links ==
* [http://daaji.org/ Official website]
{{Padma Bhushan Award Recipients 2020–2029}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Patel, Kamlesh D.}}
[[Category:1956 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:New Age spiritual leaders]]
[[Category:Indian spiritual teachers]]
[[Category:Indian spiritual writers]]
[[Category:People from Gujarat]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in other fields]]

Kamlesh Patel (Daaji) - Revision history

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