Dr. Jayant Bhalchandra Bapat
Born in Maharashtra, India, Dr. Jayant Bhalchandra Bapat arrived in Australia in 1965, when as he says, there were just a handful of Indians there. In 1998, Dr Bapat retired as a senior lecturer in Organic Chemistry at Monash University and is currently Adjunct Research Fellow, Monash Asia Institute at Monash University.
But apart from being an academician, Dr Bapat is also an authorised Hindu priest and Hindu and Civil Marriage celebrant in Australia. “In 1980, a friend’s wife in Sydney was diagnosed with terminal cancer. She requested me to do her final rites because there was no one else who could do this in Australia. I learned the funeral rites and performed them for her. Since then I have done more than 800 rituals for people all over Australia and have performed over 100 Hindu weddings,” says Dr Bapat, who also acts as a Hindu community chaplain for many hospitals in Melbourne and visits Hindu patients with terminal illness on a regular basis.
Dr Bapat has written several articles on Hinduism and associated topics in encyclopedias and is currently researching the Goddesses of the Koli fishermen of Western India. He co-edited the book “The Iconic Female: Goddesses of India, Nepal and Tibet”, published by Monash University Press in 2008 and is working on its sequel.
In 2006, he was honoured with the Caroline Chisholm Award for Community Service and the Order of Australia Medal) for services to the Hindu community in Australia and to Education, in 2010.
Support Independent Community Journalism
Dear Reader,The Indian Sun exists for one reason: to tell stories that might otherwise go unheard.
We report on local councils, state politics, small businesses and cultural festivals. We focus on the Indian diaspora and the wider multicultural community with care, balance and accountability. We publish in print and online, send regular newsletters and produce video content. We also run media training programs to help community organisations share their own stories.
We operate independently.
Community journalism does not have the backing of large media corporations. Advertising revenue fluctuates. Platform algorithms change. Costs continue to rise. Yet the need for credible, grounded reporting in a multicultural Australia has never been greater.
When you support The Indian Sun, you support:
• Independent reporting on issues affecting migrant communities
• Coverage of local and state decisions that shape daily life
• A platform for small businesses and community groups
• Media training that builds skills within the community
• Journalism accountable to readers
We cannot cover everything, but we work to cover what matters.
If you value thoughtful reporting that reflects Australia’s diversity, we invite you to contribute. Every donation helps us maintain the quality and consistency of our work.
Please consider making a contribution today.
Thank you for your support.
The Indian Sun Team
