Sabarmati Ashram – Gandhi’s abode for 12 years

Situated on the banks of the serene Sabarmati River, in the city of Ahmedabad, capital of the western Indian state of Gujarat, is the Sabarmati Ashram, which was one of the residences of Mahatma Gandhi, for 12 years.

Tour guide, Lata Parmar, recounted that after Gandhi worked for 21 years in South Africa, he returned to India in January 1915 and chose to settle in Ahmedabad to serve the country best through his mother tongue, Gujarati, and to promote the spinning wheel as it was an old centre of hand weaving.

He founded the Satyagraha (holding on to truth) Ashram (spiritual hermitage) in a rented house in the suburb of Kochrab.

However, given the proposed range of activities and experiments, a new location was found on the bank of river Sabarmati and opened on June 17, 1917.

“For 13 years, from 1917 to 1930, Sabarmati Ashram was not only Gandhiji’s (ji is a suffix used as a mark of respect) address, it became the centre of India’s freedom struggle and place of experiments in Satyagraha and Ashram life,” Parmar said.

While at the Ashram, Gandhi formed a school that focused on manual labour, agriculture and literacy to advance his efforts for self-sufficiency.

PRAYER IN THE OPEN AIR

An important part of Ashram life was morning and evening prayers, which included hymns and prayers from several faiths and languages.

“Gandhiji pondered over several aspects of daily prayers, such as where they should be offered, whether a structure should be built there and whether an idol should be installed in it. He opted for prayer in an open air space, covered in sand, without any idol,” she explained.

Foremost in the movements launched by Gandhi while he resided there was the 385-kilometre Salt March (popularly known as the Dandi March) from the Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi on the south coast of Gujarat.

Gandhi left the Ashram in 1930 with a vow not to return to the Ashram until India became independent.

It took 61-year-old Gandhi and 80 fellow marchers 25 days to complete the journey, as they walked 15 to 16 kilometres per day.

Sabarmati Ashram is established as a national monument in recognition of the influence that Dandi March had on the Indian independence movement.

Parmar led visitors on a tour of the heart of the Ashram or Hriday Kunj, which was Gandhi’s home. It is revered as a shrine, or the sanctum sanctorum, as a mark of respect to this apostle of peace.

Hriday Kunj has six rooms, three of which are bedrooms – one for Gandhi, another for his wife Kasturba and a guest room.

There are also replicas and some originals, including Gandhi’s spinning wheel and writing desks. Parmar said Gandhi learnt to use the spinning wheel at 48 years old and spun for four hours each day.

Hriday Kunj also has a kitchen where some of the utensils they used are on display, a storeroom and a secretariat where Gandhi spent days meeting national and international figures.

Sabarmati Ashram has three main galleries – ‘Gandhi in Ahmedabad’, ‘My Life is My Message’ and ‘Painting Gallery’, each depicting a different stage of his life. All galleries provide information in three languages, namely, English, Gujarati and Hindi.

Things to note:

Opening hours: 8:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. every day, including public holidays.

Fee: No entry fee.

Footwear must be removed before entering Hriday Kunj.

judana.murphy@gleanerjm.com