Gandhi Jayanti is celebrated globally as a non-violence day and much valued in India as Mahatma Gandhi was born on this day. It is marked as his birth anniversary. He is one of the respected leaders from the Indian past as our country’s Independence is the result of their contribution. He is also the father of the Satyagraha and Ahimsa movements. The impactful life of Gandhi Ji is significant in today’s era too. We still find his way of life and teachings relevant and that is one of the reasons his greatness only grows with time. He lived a life of influence where many people realised the meaning of life and the right way to live. He is still changing lives for the better. Let’s dive deep into the life of Mahatma Gandhi through this brief write-up about these contributions to Indian independence, his literary work, his early life education and his parents.
“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”- Mahatma Gandhi
Celebration of Gandhi Jayant
The National Holiday is observed on Gandhi Jayanti. The day is celebrated with prayer services, memorials as well as ceremony services, people gather in their localities and organisations to mark the contribution of Mahatma Gandhi. The pictures and sculptures of Gandhi ji are much respected by flowers and garlands. His favourite bhajan is sung by people who gather “Raghupati Raghava Raja Ram ”. His birth anniversary is observed in various other areas of the world too.
About Mahatma Gandhi
October 2nd is marked as the birth anniversary of Gandhi Ji. On this day we remember and pay tribute to his contribution to Gandhiji as his contribution to our freedom struggle is immense. Some major events that he was leading as we speak of the past movements are Champaran, Kheda, Khilafat, Non-corporation, Civil disobedience and the Quit India movement.
He was deeply influenced by Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King. It was in his early days when he was deeply influenced by the stories of Harishchandra and Shravana and this is where he picked up the principle of honesty and Satya (truth).
Parents and Education
Mahatma Gandhi, originally known as Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on 2nd October 1869. He lived in a small white-washed house in Porbandar at Kathiawad. His parents were Karamchand Gandhi and Putliba. His father was Dewan, Chief Minister of Porbandar. He was the son of Karamchand Gandhi’s fourth wife Putalibai and they belonged to an affluent Vaishnava family.
After passing high school Gandhi Ji wanted to leave for England. Her mom showed resistance as she was scared that Mohandas might end up drinking wine and eating meat there. Somehow Gandhiji convinced her mom and left for England for further education. He later went to South Africa to practice his law degree. Later on, on January 9, 1915, Gandhi Ji came back to India and participated in India’s freedom struggle.
Literary Work of Mahatma Gandhi
- He edited various newspapers like Harijan in Gujarati, English and Hindi. Indian Opinion, Young India and Navajivan.
- He wrote his own autobiography, The story of my experiments with Truth
- He has written some other autobiographies too like Satyagraha in South Africa, Hind Swaraj and Indian Home Rule.
- Hind Swaraj was also published in Gujarati.
Quick Biography of Gandhiji
Full name: Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
Born: 2 October 1869
Place of birth: Porbandar in Gujarat
Place of Death: Delhi, India
Cause of Death: Shot by Gun or assassination
Father: Karamchand Gandhi
Mother: Putlibai Gandhi
Spouse: Kasturba Gandhi
Children: Harilal Gandhi, Manilal Gandhi, Ramdas Gandhi and Devdas Gandhi
Professions: Lawyer, Politician, Activist and writer
Tourism & Historic Places related to Gandhi Ji
Kirti Mandir, Porbandar
Gandhi ji was born in a haveli in Porbandar. It has three stories where his uncle, father and grandfather were prime ministers to the Jethwa Rajput rulers. The Haveli is now a tourist attraction as it’s converted into a tourist attraction and renamed Kirti Mandir. Here one can witness the possessions of Gandhi and various books on him.
Address: Kasturba Road, Opposite Zaveri, Porbandhar
Timings: 9 Am to 12 PM and 3 Pm to 6 Pm.
Sabarmati Ashram, Ahmedabad
This was the base of Gandhi Ji in India. He conducted all his meetings and experiments here. Here you can see a small cottage where Gandhi Ji lived known as “Hridaya Kunj”. This place adds immense historic value, you can also see things related to Gandhi Ji here like his writing desk, khadi kurta, yarn spun by him and his letters.
Timings: The Sangrahalaya is open to visitors from 8 Am to 7 Pm on all days including Sundays and Holidays.
Address: Gandhi Smarak Sangrahalaya, Ahmedabad Gujarat
Mani Bhavan Gandhi Sangrahalaya, Mumbai
It’s a two-storied memorial for Gandhi Ji. This was much known as the centre of all Gandhi’s activities in Mumbai. Visitors can see the pictures, and books and explore the museum that speaks about Gandhi’s daily life activities while he was in Mumbai. There is also a library attached to the premises for the readers.
Timings: Laburnum Road, Papanas Wadi, Tardeo, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400007
Address: All days of the week from 9:30 to 5:30 PM. The library is closed on the second and fourth Saturday.
Gandhi Smriti or Birla Bhavan, New Delhi
This place is formally known as Birla House. It is a museum dedicated to Gandhi ji. Speaking of the historical significance Gandhi spent 144 days of his life and later he was assassinated on January 30, 1948.
The museum holds a huge collection of Gandhi Ji memories, pictures and various personal belongings. There are also grand multimedia shows that reflect Gandhi’s life. You can watch the multimedia show from 1 Pm to 1:30 Pm.
Address: 5, Tees January Lane, Birla House, New Delhi
Timings: 10 Am to 5 Pm, it’s closed on Monday
Gandhi Memorial Museum, Madurai
This grand Gandhi memorial was built after the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi in 1948. It is one of the rarest museums of Gandhi Ji where you can see the clothes he was wearing while he was assassinated. The clothes here have blood stains too.
Address: Tallakulam, Madhurai, Tamil Nadhu 625020
Timing: 10 am to 1 pm, 2 pm to 5:45 pm
Sevagram Ashram, Wardha
Gandhi spent his years from 1936 to 1948 at Sevagram Ashram and he got involved in various activities. This is the village that Gandhi Ji chose to stay in till India gets Independent after the Dandi Padayatra (foot march). He came to this village which was originally known as Shegaon and it was renamed by him Sevgram which means “Village of service”. In this village, one can see the Adi Nivas which is the first hut of Gandhi, Ba Kuti which was Kasturba’s hut, another hut which was Gandhi Ji’s workplace and his Akhiri Nivas which was initially used as a hospital.
Address: Sevgram Ashram Pratishthan, Wardha 44102
Time: N/A
To know Gandhiji better one must visit these places spread all across India. A significant part of history is preserved here that can take us back for a walk to the events that led us to the Independence of our great nation India. It’s time for the love of history that you pack your bags and get on a trip to explore the past of our great leader Gandhi Ji.
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