Visiting Gandhi Smriti on Mahatma's death anniversary

Gandhi Smriti is where Mahatma Gandhi spent the last 144 days of his life. It is also where he breathed his last after being shot at on 30th January 1948. On his death anniversary, we take you to the museum that reflects the simplicity of this great man.

The Old Birla House that is now the Gandhi Smriti museum stands inconspicuously in a leafy avenue of central Delhi. The bungalow which used to be the private residence of the Birla family, was acquired by the Government of India in 1971. On August 15, 1973 it opened to the public as a national monument. Today the museum spreads over two floors in the sprawling white mansion and showcases pictures, letters, and personal belongings of the Mahatma.

The first thing that strikes you about Gandhi Smriti is its simplicity. A low desk, a mattress on the floor and a bolster is all that accounts for Gandhi’s furniture, displayed in the room he used. A pen, a pair of glasses, his cutlery and his walking stick, his only possessions at the time of his passing, are preserved in a glass case inside the same room. There are pictures and letters displayed in the corridors of the ground floor of large mansion. The pictures, mostly black & white, tell tale of his determination and strength; the letters give you a peek into his mind.

In one of the halls on the ground floor we see large glass cases with mini-figurines depicting scenes from Gandhi’s life. Stories from the Satyagraha Movement, the Quit India Movement, the Pietermaritzburg Station, (where he was thrown off the first class compartment in South Africa) and events like his leaving home in his boyhood, his marriage to Kasturba and his eventual death all come alive in these life-like depictions.

The first floor of Gandhi Smriti has been set up recently with quizzes, games, puzzles, films, and music relevant to Gandhis’ life. It is a great space for children and young adults to familiarize themselves with the life of the Mahatma in interesting and engaging ways.

While the entire museum inspires and moves you, it is the garden and the main entrance of the museum that are most significant parts of the building. The main entrance is from where Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had announced Gandhi’s death on 30th of January 1948. Stone steps that mark the path Gandhi took on his last journey take you to the spot where he was shot in a public gathering. While on that day the spot would have been filled with chaos and commotion, today it stands in absolute silence. The only marker for the dreadful morning being a stone etched with his final words, “Hey Ram.”

Some Other Gandhi Museums in India

Sabarmati Museum, Sabarmati: Gandhi’s headquarters from 1917 to 1930. The site stands on the banks of Sabarmati.

Mani Bhawan, Mumbai: This museum is set in a quaint bungalow that served as Gandhi’s headquarter for seventeen years.

Kirti Mandir, Porbandar: The birthplace of the Mahatma is his ancestral home. Adjacent to it is the sprawling home of Kasturba Gandhi.

National Gandhi Museum, Rajghat: This museum at Rajghat contains a Charkha gallery, a picture gallery and a martyrdom gallery.

Gandhi Museum, Barackpore: A collection that showcases Gandhi’s affection for people of Bengal also displays artifacts from other freedom fighters’ lives.

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