The Chinmaya Mission premises in Delhi hosted a solemn prayer meeting on Tuesday to honour the memory of the late Rajesh Rai, elder brother of Bharat Express Chairman, Managing Director, and Editor-in-Chief Upendrra Rai. The ceremony provided family, friends, and dignitaries an opportunity to pay tribute to Rajesh Rai’s simplicity, honesty, and saintly life.
Rajesh Rai passed away on 25 October in a Delhi hospital. His family later observed the terahvi (13th-day ceremony) on 7 November at his ancestral village, Sherpur Kalan, in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh.
During the ceremony, CMD Upendrra Rai delivered a deeply emotional message, recalling his brother as ‘the most honest, humble, and saintly soul’ among their five siblings. “At the time of his death, I felt helpless. I couldn’t cry for him, but the pain of his loss remains deep,” he said, referring to his brother affectionately as Guddu Bhaiya.
Upendrra Rai also mentioned that leaders, including Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, and Union Minister Anupriya Patel, had sent condolence messages, while Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha personally visited the family to offer his sympathies.
Adding a touch of humour amid grief, Rai remarked, “I’m considered the best listener in the family, though my friends say I’ve also started speaking fairly well.” His words moved everyone present.
Dignitaries and Artists Join in Tribute
Among the attendees were J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, poet and storyteller Kumar Vishwas, JD(U) leader KC Tyagi, Acharya Pawan Tripathi, SP leader Neeraj Shekhar, and religious leader Acharya Pramod Krishnam. All expressed heartfelt condolences and remembered Rajesh Rai’s contribution to society.
A moving musical performance by Nikhil Berry, who sang devotional hymns including ‘Jeevan ki Prabhu saanjh dhali hai…’ left many with moist eyes.
The service, streamed live on Upendrra Rai’s social media handles, allowed well-wishers from across the country to join virtually. The Bharat Express family expressed gratitude to all who shared in their sorrow, vowing that Rajesh Rai’s memory and ideals would remain eternal.
बड़े भाई स्वर्गीय राजेश राय की स्मृति में दिल्ली से श्रद्धांजलि सभा LIVE @narendramodi @PMOIndia @AmitShah @HMOIndia @manojsinha_ @gupta_rekha https://t.co/gVEBjeq59i
— Upendrra Rai (@UpendrraRai) November 11, 2025
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