T he Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad was one of the residences of Mahatma Gandhi. It is situated on the banks of the Sabarmati river in Ahmedabad. Gandhiji and his wife Kasturba lived here from 1917 and 1930. Gandhiji led the Dandi march or the the Salt Satyagraha from the Ashram on March 12, 1930. The Ashram was established as a national monument after the March.
Idyll
On May 25, 1915 Gandhiji’s India ashram was established at the Kocharab Bungalow, near Ahmedabad and it belonged to Jivanlal Desai, a barrister and friend. At that time the ashram was called the Satyagraha Ashram. But Gandhiji wanted to carry out many activities such as farming and animal husbandry. The ashram was relocated to the banks of the Sabarmati, two years later, on June 17, 1917.
Gandhi’s room in the Ashram
The ashram also had a school that focused on manual labour, agriculture and literacy. But, when Gandhiji began his Dandi March, the government seized the ashram. By July 22 1933, Gandhiji decided to disband the ashram but the local people decided to preserve it. Gandhiji vowed that he would never return to the ashram until India gained independence. Sadly, he never got a chance, as he was assassinated on January 30 1948, just a few months after India became independent.
Take a tour
Today if you go to Sabarmati Ashram you can visit the museum — Gandhi Smarak Sangrahalaya. It is a public service institution dedicated to preserving the work and memory and commemorate the life of Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi. In 1963, architect Charles Correa designed and built the museum. It was inaugurated by Jawaharlal Nehru on May 10, 1963.
Do not miss
Nandini (an old ashram guest house)
Vinoba Kutir (named after Acharya Vinoba Bhave)
Upasana Mandir (an open -air prayer ground)
Magan Niwas (home of the ashram manager, Maganlal Gandhi)
What’s inside
The museum carries 250 photo-enlargements of some of the most vivid and historic events of Gandhiji’s life.
35,000 books dealing with his life, work, teachings, Indian freedom movement and allied subjects.
It houses tens of thousands of letters to and by Gandhiji.
A Reading Room with more than 80 periodicals in English, Gujarati and Hindi.
The museum
The Sabarmati Ashram receives about 700,000 visitors a year. It is open every day of the year from 8.00 am to 7.00.pm.
