Visitors at Mahatma Gandhi’s samadhi at Rajghat will now be greeted with inspiring thoughts and quotes from the Father of the Nation.
The samadhi at Rajghat, which is visited by more than 10,000 domestic and foreign visitors every day has undergone a makeover and will be inaugurated on Monday, January 30, on the occasion of the 69th death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
The memorial site has been given a facelift under the supervision of the Ministry of Urban Development and the project has been carried out by the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) in association with the Delhi Urban Arts Commission (DUAC) and the Rajghat Samadhi Samiti.
Engaging visitors
A spokesperson from the Ministry said that the samadhi did not have much to offer visitors who come to the samadhi every day, except the black stone platform that marks the spot where Mahatma Gandhi was cremated. He said that the samadhi has been given a makeover to address this deficiency and to enhance the experience of visitors. The last time the memorial site was given a facelift was 15 years ago.
“For the first time, a 157-word brief profile of the Mahatma and a 131-word description of Gandhi Samadhi have been put on display, both in Hindi and English, at all the three gates of Rajghat,” the spokesperson said.
The profile says that the Mahatma espoused “truth, non-violence, sarvadharma samabhava , gram swaraj , trusteeship and swadeshi, which are the building blocks of a new social order free from all kinds of exploitation, discrimination and domination”. The profile at Rajghat says “The samadhi reflects the simplicity of Father of Nation, Mahatma Gandhi’s life”.
“Thirty amrit vachans have been engraved on marble and displayed on granite stone pedestals,” he said. These include — “He who is unable to rule over self, can never really succeed in ruling over others” and “He who is truly clean within, can not remain unclean without”.
Lights replaced
“All the existing conventional lights at Rajghat Complex have been replaced by energy efficient LED lights and are placed atop 104 aesthetically designed poles,” he said. This will save 60,000 KWH annually, he said. Solar panels have also been installed above roof tops and cycle shed at the parking area.
To improve security, 27 CCTV cameras have been installed, he said.
Other initiatives executed at the complex include the setting up of Kasturba Gandhi Souvenir Store, landscaping, regressing, improvement of water bodies and plantation, laying of cobbled stone on the road between the parking area of Rajghat and samadhi, setting up of CISF control rooms near the main gates.
