Mahatma Gandhi

by Pun

I would like to discuss further on the topic of Gandhi since I’ve just been visiting Gandhi Smriti or formerly known as Birla House or Birla Bhavan. This museum allow me to gain more perso

nal view of Gandhi life, instead of searching through the internet.

To begin with, Gandhi Smriti (or Gandhi Rememberance) is a museum dedicated to Mahata Gandhi situated on Tees January Road. In New Delhi. My experience with Amorn to this museum was abit crazy because I was lost for 30 minutes to an hour because there was Gandhi library and also Gandhi the president museum. Gandhi Smriti is the location where Mahatma Gaandhi spent his last 144 days of his life and was assassinated on January,30, 1948. In this Museum lies the spot where Gandhi was assassinated, ‘The Matyr’s Column’. The Martyr’s Column is now markeds the place where Gandhi, the “father of the Nation” was assassinated. While I was touring around the museum I was privileged to experience first hand on seeing the preserved room where Gandhi lived and also to experience the place on the ground where he was shot while holding his nightly public walk.

As I’ve already mentioned Gandhi practices and his belief involve

with many religion but mostly based on Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. He even has some influence from Christ’s teaching too. In Gandhi own words: “….all religion are true………all religion have some error in them…….all religions are almost as dear to me as my own Hinduism…… My veneration for other faiths is the same as for my own faiths”. Gandhi political philosophy is based on two religious principle known in Sansakrit as Ahimsa (no harm) which is Buddhism teaching of a supreme principle by which actions are judged required that there must be no harm (physical or spiritual) done to other living beings either through words or action The second principle is known as Satyagraha, works by establishing a relationship with the oppressor in order to take that relationship to a higher level. This allow the moral power of the oppressor forces them to see their action and modify their action accordingly. Gandhi’s use of Satyagraha is best illustrated in the Salt March of 1930, a protest organized by him against the British monopoly on the production and taxation of salt. The march, led by Gandhi himself, brought it to the world’s attention and – given that Gandhi himself was imprisoned for organizing the event – marked the beginning of the end of British rule.

This is the reason why outside the house stands a pillar that contains a swastika symbol. The pillar is known as, and is used as, an example of how context can change the ethical nature of information and the interchangeability of symbols across societies. According to Lester and Koehler,) "for Hindus and Buddhists, the swastika symbol is a representation of good." The same pillar also contains the Sanskrit symbol for the meditation sound, Om.

by Amorn

Mahatma Gandhi (Great Soul) is remembered as the spiritual and political leader of India’s struggle to be emancipated from British occupation. His philosophy of maintaining non violence in the pursuit of independence has influenced contemporary thought and makes India’s attainment of independence particularly unique. Gandhi’s belief of practicing non violence was influenced by the Jain tradition he was brought up in. Jainism teaches one to treat others as you would yourself and to treat all living beings with respect. These beliefs of Jainism are apparent in the way Gandhi led his life since he showed a tolerance for all creeds and religion. Gandhi’s fight for India’s independence was fueled by his pursuit for a wider social justice brought upon by the Imperial rule. One of the tactics he undertook was to boycott colonial fashion and wear simple clothing made by him and fasted through periods of political upheaval; thus making him closer to all that he preached to, including the untouchables, the lowest social class. Gandhi was a great influence to other political figures such as Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela who both fought for justice through non violent means. To remember Gandhi is to be inspired by his life. He said, “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever”.

During our visit to the Gandhi Smiriti, the residence in Delhi where he spent the last part of his life in, I got to experience firsthand the importance that Gandhi had to this nation. The house had been transformed to a memorial divided into two parts, the first floor being dominated with written documentation and the preservation of the actual room he stayed in, while the second floor was more of a contemporary exhibition filled with various interesting interactive mediums. In my opinion I felt that the memorial was an interestingly successful because on one hand you have to simple and sentimental memory that Gandhi would have wanted to world to remember him by, while on the other hand you have a more updated means to keep the interest of numerous youths.