Satyagraha Ashram, Where Mahatma Gandhi Was Born

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We know Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born in Porbandar. But it is in Ahmedabad that Mahatma Gandhi was born when he came back from Africa in 1915 and set up an Ashram in the city. A lovely Bungalow was gifted to him by Barrister Jivanlal Desai in the Kochrab locality of the city that is now known as Satyagraha Ashram.

Table of Contents

Bookshop at Gujarat Vidyapeeth
Bookshop at Gujarat Vidyapeeth

Satyagraha Ashram, Kochrab – Mahatma Gandhi

Gandhi and his wife Kasturba lived in this double-story ashram for 2 years till 1917 when the better-known Sabarmati Ashram came up, on the banks of Sabarmati. A bit of Internet research tells me that Gandhi chose Ahmedabad to be his base. As here he could speak Gujarati – his mother tongue. It was a center for handlooms so his charkha movement would get a good start.

And third, it was home to a lot of wealthy people whom he expected to contribute to the freedom struggle. In 1917, a plague epidemic played a role in the ashram being moved out of Kochrab.

Mahatma Gandhi's portrait
Mahatma Gandhi’s portrait

Sabarmati Ashram is what we know as Gandhi Ashram. But it was a discovery to know that the first Gandhi Ashram in Ahmedabad was located in Kochrab. My young friend Tushar took me to this Ashram. Even though he knows the city quite well, it took us a few turns here and there to reach the Ashram. From a distance, it looks like an old British-era bungalow in pale yellow. In the corner, there is a shop, selling handloom and Gramodyoga products. Unlike Sabarmati Ashram, there were no tourists here.

Satyagraha Ashram, Kochrab
Satyagraha Ashram, Kochrab

Prayer Ground

We enter the ashram and see no one around. On the right is a large ground with a platform. A board tells us that it used to be the prayer ground. On the left is the bungalow and behind the bungalow are a few rooms in a straight line. We reluctantly open the doors of the Bungalow and see well-maintained rooms that were used by Mr & Mrs. Gandhi. Walls have writings of Gandhi from his book Hind Swaraj, and large portraits of people who influenced him like Tagore.

Pictures of all ashrams across the state and a brief story on them. Glass panels of the cupboards have pictures of the couple beside large portraits of theirs on walls. There are small caricatured panels depicting various activities of Gandhi.

Gandhi’s Room at Satyagraha Ashram

Gandhi’s room has his trademark writing desk on the floor with a white mattress and a simple wooden charkha by the side. In many respects, the rooms were very similar to Sabarmati Ashram.

Mahatma Gandhi's room at Satyagraha Ashram
Mahatma Gandhi’s room

We came out and met a caretaker who showed us the rooms behind the main building that were supposed to be the kitchen, store room, and toilet for the house. Our modern mind finds it difficult to understand that a fairly large bungalow will not have a toilet inside but then we realize mindsets were different a century ago. In the front corridor, an old gentleman is reading the newspaper and he tells us about the library on the first floor.

Library

Now, I am excited and want to go upstairs as soon as possible. But Alas, an old Gandhian who has the keys refuses to let me. I request him, cajole him but he says it is only open to the members of the society. I tell him I only want to see the library and he says, you go to the university and see the books there. How do I explain to him what a library means to me? Both Tushar and I tried all possible ways to convince him. But he remained adamant that only members of the society have access to the library.

And I was thinking – what would have Gandhi thought of this stance – that no one can look at his library but a bunch of self-proclaimed Gandhians.

Portraits of Mahatma Gandhi at Satyagraha Ashram
Portraits of Mahatma Gandhi

Gujarat Vidyapeeth University

This Ashram is managed by Gujarat Vidyapeeth University – an institution that was set up by Gandhi in 1920 that is located almost next door to the Ashram. I went there to pick up a few books about Gandhi. Including a special edition of Hind Swaraj that has handwritten text by Gandhi in Gujarati along with Hindi & English translations on handmade paper. It was a lovely bookstore with books primarily from the Independence movement era.

Satyagraha Ashram view
Satyagraha Ashram view

Tourism

Some newspaper reports tell me that Gujarat tourism had plans to convert this Ashram into a homestay. Where tourists can come and live like they would have during the days of Gandhi, following all the rules of the ashram. I am not sure if they should use this piece of heritage as a tourism product. But this idea of the Gandhian homestay is something that should be worked on – maybe on a property that resembles the ashram.

I think the ashram should be kept intact, as it is an important part of our history, but of course with access to the library upstairs.

Recommend you to read the following travel blog posts.

6 Must visit Museums in Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad Heritage Walk

Mani Bhavan – Mahatma Gandhi’s imprint in Mumbai

Delhi Tribal Museum – Tribal know-how under one roof

Historic Pavagadh Hill, Gujarat

4 COMMENTS

  1. Very nice posts.
    I have been reading your posts for a long time and I feel very good to read your posts. Because the information given in your posts is very helpful to me when I travel.

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