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| Just opposite the 'samadhi' of Mahatma Gandhi
at Rajghat lies the National Gandhi Museum (Rashtriya Gandhi
Sangrahalaya), the two storey museum which has a very rich collection
of photographs, relics, memorabilia closely connected with Mahatma
Gandhi, books, journals and documents, audio-visual materials,
exhibitions and art pieces. Inaugurated by Dr. Rajendra Prasad,
the first President of India in 1961, the museum is gradually
developing into an information center on Gandhian thoughts and
literature. The museum houses a very well maintained library,
which has one of the finest collections of books and documents
on Mahatma Gandhi and India's freedom movement. Apart from other
exciting titles, it has around 25000 photocopies of manuscripts
like telegrams, letters and notes written to and by Mahatma
Gandhi. |
| Among the many memorabilia, the precious possessions
of the museum are the pocket watch, blood stained dhoti and
shawl worn by Mahatma Gandhi when he was assassinated, the bamboo
stick that Gandhiji carried on the Salt March in 1930, his spectacles,
one of three bullets which killed him, Jail bowl (Yeravada),
dentures and the two historical flags which are displayed in
different galleries of the museum. Though all the galleries
of the museum are worth watching but Charkha Gallery (Spinning
Wheel Gallery) and the photographic gallery is quite an interesting
place to spend some quality time as it has the chronological
pictorial biography of Mahatma Gandhi. The whole biography is
divided into ten phases and over 300 photographs with write-ups
are there on display. There are also some good paintings, portraits
and writings of Gandhiji which one encounters throughout the
museum. |
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| Among the outdoor displays, a full-scale replica
of Hriday Kunj, the residence of Mahatma Gandhi and his wife
Kasturba in Satyagraha Ashram at Sabarmati where they lived
from 1918 to 1930, the seated sculpture of Mahatma Gandhi, Advaita
Gadanayak's black marble stone of Mahatma Gandhi followed by
some of the Marchers on the famous Salt March and the replica
of famous Bose's woodcut 'Walk Alone' carving in cement are
surely a feast for the eyes of visitors. |
| Special Free film shows can be organized on
request in the museum auditorium during the office hours (10
am to 5 pm). The replicas of Gandhiji's relics are also provided
at a nominal rate. The museum has a photo section, which maintains
a rare collection of photographs of Gandhiji and India's freedom
movement. |
| The museum also has an audio-visual section
and Gandhi Literature section from where visitant can purchase
CDs, cassettes, tapes, records (speeches of Gandhiji) and books
on and by Mahatma Gandhi respectively. |
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