Gandhi Smriti

2022-07-27T22:44:51Z

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{{For|the museum in Rajkot|Kaba Gandhi No Delo}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=November 2018}}
[[File:Birla HouseGandhi Smriti, New Delhi.jpg|thumb|right|200px|''Gandhi Smriti'' (former Birla House), New Delhi, India]]
'''Gandhi Smriti,''' formerly known as '''Birla House''' or '''Birla Bhavan''', is a museum dedicated to [[Mahatma Gandhi]], situated on [[Tees January Road]], formerly Albuquerque Road, in New Delhi, India. It is the location where Mahatma Gandhi spent the last 144 days of his life and was [[Assassination of Mahatma Gandhi|assassinated]] on 30 January 1948. It was originally the house of the Birla family, Indian business tycoons. It is now home to the Eternal Gandhi Multimedia Museum, which was established in 2005.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.sacredworld.info/gandhi.htm | title=The Eternal Gandhi | publisher=Sacred World | access-date=11 November 2018 }}</ref>

The museum is open every day except Mondays and national holidays. Entry is free for all.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.kahajaun.com/delhi/travel/museum/1852/gandhi-smriti-darshan-samiti-delhi/ | title=Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti Delhi | publisher=KahaJaun | access-date=12 June 2019 }}</ref>

[[File:Gandhiji's Spectacles.jpg|thumb|Gandhiji's Spectacles on display]]
==History==
[[File:An exhibit at Eternal Gandhi Multimedia Museum, Gandhi Smriti, New Delhi.jpg|left|130px|thumb|An exhibit at [[Eternal Gandhi Multimedia Museum]], Gandhi Smriti]]
[[File:Gandhi Smriti Delhi.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The 'Martyr's Column' at the Gandhi Smriti, the spot where Gandhi was assassinated.]]

The 12-bedroom house was built in 1928 by [[Ghanshyamdas Birla]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.adityabirla.com/Media/Voice-of-the-Mahatama |title=THE VOICE OF THE MAHATAMA, Dr. Pragnya Ram |access-date=2 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160407210058/http://adityabirla.com/media/Voice-of-the-Mahatama |archive-date=7 April 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Sardar Patel and Mahatma Gandhi were frequent guests of the Birlas. During his final stay, Mahatma Gandhi stayed here from 9 September 1947 to 30 January 1948 when he was assassinated. Jawaharlal Nehru wrote to [[Ghanshyamdas Birla]] seeking to turn part of the Birla House in to a memorial.<ref>
[https://books.google.com/books?id=EbC2AAAAIAAJ&q=nehru+G.+D.+birla+house+delhi&dq=nehru+G.+D.+birla+house+delhi&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CCsQ6AEwAGoVChMIgOCWrvvYxwIVikiSCh3PSAVx Bhavan's Journal, Volume 32, Issues 13-24 Published 1986, p. 28-29]</ref>
Ghanshyamdas was rather reluctant to give up the house with associated memories.
The Birla House was purchased from [[KK Birla]], in 1971, by the Government of India, after protracted and tough negotiations, in which, according to some reports, he even included the cost of fruit trees in the sale price. Eventually KK Birla, sold the property to the Government for Rs 5.4 million and seven acres of urban land in exchange, which was considered a very profitable deal.<ref>[[Tushar A. Gandhi]], 'Let's Kill Gandhi!': A CHRONICLE OF HIS LAST DAYS, THE CONSPIRACY, MURDER. INVESTIGATIONS AND TRIAL (New Delhi, Delhi: Rupa & Co, 2007).p 570-71</ref> Birla House opened for the public on 15 August 1973, renamed the '''Gandhi Smriti''' (or ''Gandhi Remembrance''). The museum in the building houses a number of articles associated with Gandhi's life and death. Visitors can tour the building and grounds, viewing the preserved room where Gandhi lived and the place on the grounds where he was shot while holding his nightly public walk. Gandhi was shot during his prayers at the spot where ''Martyr's Column'' now stands.

The Gandhi Smriti or Birla House is located at 5 Tees January Marg, a couple of kilometres from the [[Connaught Place, New Delhi|Connaught Place]], one of the [[Central Business District|Central Business District's]] of New Delhi.

Outside the house stands a pillar that contains a swastika symbol. The prominence of the pillar means that it has been used as a visual example of the way the ethical meaning of the [[swastika]] symbol has changed in the West in the 20th century.<ref>See, e.g., Koehler, Jr., Wallace C. and June Lester. 2007. Fundamentals of Information Studies, 2nd ed. New York: Neal Schuman Publishers, Inc. 347-48: "for Hindus and Buddhists, the swastika symbol is a representation of good."</ref>{{Dubious|date=August 2019}} The same pillar also contains the Sanskrit symbol for the meditation sound, [[Om]].

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category-inline|Birla House}}
* [http://gandhismriti.gov.in/ Gandhi Smriti – Government of India website]

{{Museums in Delhi}}
{{Mohandas K. Gandhi |state=collapsed}}
{{Authority control}}

{{Coord|28|36|06.7|N|77|12|51.6|E|region:IN-DL_type:landmark|display=title}}

[[Category:Museums in Delhi]]
[[Category:Gandhi museums]]
[[Category:Houses in India]]
[[Category:National symbols of India]]
[[Category:Museums established in 1973]]
[[Category:1973 establishments in Delhi]]
[[Category:Assassination of Mahatma Gandhi]]

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Gandhi Smriti