GANDHI SMRITI

Birla House was the last residence of Mahatma Gandhi and it was during his evening walk in the gardens that he was assassinated by a Hindu fanatic on January 30th 1948. The house was converted into a museum by the Indian government in 1973. Much more interesting than the Gandhi Museum in Raj Ghat, this museum is worth a visit. The exhibition, which may sometimes seem anecdotal in comparison with the intellectual legacy left by the Mahatma, is a way to pay homage to him and to walk with him in his last steps.

Birla House. This house belonged to the rich Birla family of Gujarat that Gandhi frequently visited. It was built in 1928 by Ghanshyamdas Birla, according to a U-shaped plan. Spread over two floors, the twelve rooms of this secondary residence saw the passage of many personalities, including Gandhi and Sardar Patel, the first Deputy Prime Minister of the country. It was notably the last residence of Gandhi who spent the last 144 days of his life there. After his death, Jahawarlal Nehru, Prime Minister of India and former companion of Gandhi, tried to convince Ghanshyamdas Birla to transform the house into a memorial. But the latter refused to open to the public a house where he had so many memories. In 1971, after long negotiations, the Indian government finally succeeded in buying the house from the family's heir. He had to pay 5.4 million rupees, which was a considerable sum at the time. After some renovation work, the museum opened on August 15, 1973 under the name of Gandhi Smriti, which means "Gandhi Commemoration".

Gandhi Smriti. The museum houses an extensive collection of photographs of the Mahatma's life as well as some of his personal belongings (sandals, glasses and cane) displayed in the room he occupied. This room has been preserved in its original state. In the other rooms, the major events of his life are staged in doll's houses. From his room to the garden, footprints mark his last steps to the precise place of his assassination symbolized by the "column of the martyr". Gandhi was killed there by an extremist Hindu who did not accept the partition of India. This very moving symbolism also suggests the great void left by Gandhi after his death. Nearly 70 years after his death, the agonies of independence and partition are still not digested everywhere, as evidenced by the recurrent conflicts in Kashmir or the regular uprisings of the Hindus in Gujarat.