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| Gandhi Jayanti - A tribute to Bapu | | | Mahadeep Singh Jamwal | 10/1/2019 10:14:41 PM |
| Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi often called as "Bapu', a term of endearment that means "father" was born on October 2, 1869. Karamchand was the name of his father. The honorific title Mahatma, or "Great Soul," was given to him in 1914. Mahatma Gandhi's birthday, celebrated on October 2, is a major national holiday in India. Gandhi's birthday is known as Gandhi Jayanti in India; the event is commemorated with a prayer for peace, ceremonies, and with singing "Raghupathi Raghava Rajar Ram", Gandhi's favorite song. In 2007, to honor Gandhi's message of nonviolence, the United Nations declared October 2 as the International Day of Nonviolence. Mahatma Gandhi and his contribution towards India's struggle for independence will forever be remembered as one of the greatest lessons in patriotism. Gandhi attended law school in London but was famous among the faculty for his bad handwriting. Gandhi lived for 21 years in South Africa. He was imprisoned there many times as well. An entire nation for generations has referred to Mahatma Gandhi as the 'Father of Nation' because of his relentless efforts that brought down the British Raj. October 2 is observed as Gandhi Jayanti, when his sacrifice and non-violent, peaceful fight for freedom is celebrated by the country. Many people don't know that through a prearranged marriage, Gandhi was wed at age 13; his wife, Kasturbai Makhanji Kapadia, was one year older. Gandhi and his wife had their first child when he was 16 years old. That child died a few days later, but the couple did have four sons before he took a vow of celibacy. Gandhi's wife died in 1944, while imprisoned in the Aga Khan Palace. Her day of death (February 22) is celebrated as Mother's Day in India. Gandhi was also in prison at the time of her death. Gandhi was released from prison only because he contracted malaria, and British officials feared an uprising if he, too, died while in prison. The British government wouldn't allow official photos of Gandhi while he was fasting, for fear of further fueling the push for independence.
Despite being famous for nonviolence and involvement in the Indian independence movement, Gandhi actually recruited Indians to fight for Britain during World War-I. He opposed India's involvement in World War II. Gandhi fought for much more than independence. His causes included civil rights for women, the abolition of the caste system, and the fair treatment of all people regardless of religion. His mother and father had different religious traditions. Gandhi demanded fair treatment for the untouchables, India's lowest caste; he underwent several fasts to support the cause. He called the untouchables (Harijans), which means "children of God." Gandhi was actually a philosophical anarchist and wanted no established government in India. He felt that if everyone adopted nonviolence and a good moral code they could be self-governing. Gandhi denounced Gandhism and did not want to create a cult-like following. He also conceded that he had "nothing new to teach the world. Truth and nonviolence are as old as the hills". The life of Mahatma Gandhi inspired the thinking of many world leaders, among them Martin Luther King Jr. and Barack Obama. The wisdom of the Gandhi can well be conceived from his world famous quotes such as: "You must be the change you wish to see in the world", "An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind", "The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated", "There is more to life than increasing its speed", "Man is but the product of his thoughts. What he thinks, he becomes", "The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others" and many more.
Gandhi ji guided on dietary system and guided that each person should find their own diet that works best. Gandhi spent decades experimenting with food, logging the results, and tweaking his eating choices. He wrote a book named "The Moral Basis of Vegetarianism". The Story of My Experiments with Truth: An Autobiography by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi is a marvelous piece of reading and those who have not read it are like persons getting out of Ganga bath without 'Moksha'. If we traverse on the books written by many worlds over, there is an endless library. Gandhi: Prisoner of Hope: Written by Judith M Brown, the book deals with Gandhi's early life, his career as a lawyer and his struggle with racism in South Africa. The book portrays him as a powerful voice that understood the idea of the beginning of a freedom movement.
Sadly, Gandhi was assassinated by a fellow Hindu on January 30, 1948, who shot him three times at point-blank range, shortly after independence was achieved and while India was still plagued with bloodshed over new boundaries between religious groups. More than two million people attended Gandhi's funeral. The epitaph on his memorial in New Delhi reads "Oh God" which are purported to be his last words. Mahatma Gandhi's image has appeared on all denominations of Indian rupees printed since 1996. In order to understand the 'Mahatma' in real perspective, one is required to visiting a few sites that honor the memory of Gandhi. While there, be mindful of the lesser-known facts of his life and his attempts to instill nonviolence in all of India's struggles. Gandhi Memorial in Delhi: Among the most important Indian sites honoring Gandhi is the black marble Gandhi Memorial on the shores of the Yamuna River, at Raj Ghat in Delhi. This is where Gandhi was cremated in 1948 after his assassination. Sabarmati Ashram: The museum at the Sabarmati Ashram (Gandhi Ashram) in the Sabarmati suburb of Ahmedabad, Gujarat, commemorates Mahatma Gandhi's life and works. The ashram was one of the residences of Gandhi, who lived there for 12 years with his wife, Kasturba Gandhi. In 1930, Gandhi used this ashram as his base for the nonviolent march he organized against the British Salt Law. His actions had a profound influence on the movement for Indian independence - achieved in 1947. In recognition of this, India established the ashram as a national monument. |
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