Chief Minister M. K. Stalin has announced that Gandhi Memorial Museum in Madurai will be renovated on an outlay of ₹6 crore.
“The announcement could not have come at a better time,” said Gandhi Museum Director (Administration) K. R. Nanda Rao, as Madurai is preparing to celebrate the centenary year of the Mahatma’s visit when, on seeing the abject poverty of the people, he chose to wear only loin cloth from that day - September 22, 1921.
The discussions to keep alive the Mahatma’s ideals and principles through engaging programmes and modern facilities were on for a long time, Mr. Rao said. Only last week, the formal proposal was submitted to Tourism Minister M. Mathiventhan and Principal Secretary (Tourism, Culture & Religious Endowments) B. Chandra Mohan.
The funds would help to improve lighting facilities, install a lift for aged visitors, renovate and modify the photo galleries and the library and provide drinking water facilities and modern toilets on the 13.5 acre campus, that is visited by 6.6 lakh tourists every year, he said.
The double-storey museum is one of the seven Sanghralayas established by the Gandhi Smriti Smarak in the country and the only one in South India. It is also one of the two that has a part of blood-stained clothes worn by Gandhiji when he was assassinated on January 31, 1948. The dhoti is exhibited here, while the shawl with three bullet holes is kept in National Gandhi Museum, Delhi.
The museum showcases the architecture of three different eras. The central building was built as a majestic summer palace of Rani Mangammal, a regent of the Nayak dynasty in 1700. The southern side was constructed by the British in 1885 and in the later years contemporary structures were added.
The museum was inaugurated by former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru on April 15, 1959. Eminent Gandhians, including G. Ramachandhran, the founder of Gandhigram Rural Institute, Radha Thiagarajan (wife of business tycoon Karumuttu Thiagarajan Chettiar) and former president R. Venkataraman have served as its chairpersons.
Chief attractions
Mr. Rao says tourists are attracted to the 14 original belongings kept here. These include a shawl worn by Gandhiji at the 1931 Round Table Conference at Buckingham Palace in London; an original letter written to Narayanasath Sanghi of Devakottai on March 7, 1937 and signed in Tamil; his letter to Hitler in March 1939 to prevent war; a pair of footwear used in 1945; original yarn spun by him; a wooden spoon of 1946; and a pair of spectacles with case used after 1947.
