In 1915, a famous yet
young barrister set foot on his motherland after spending about twenty-one
years on the foreign soil of South Africa. The political views and ethics as
well as the discrimination and exploitation he faced in the Rainbow nation
could not in any way prepare him for what awaited him in his homeland. When his
teacher and mentor Gopal Krishna Gokhale called upon his services back home, Gandhi
could not refuse. Little did anybody know that Gandhi’s arrival would give the
entire Indian national movement a new lease of life.
It was in the same year
that Gandhi was in search of a place where he would be able to settle down with
his associates and observe the Indian scenario. It was during this time that
Gandhi discovered the Sabarmati ashram site. It was said that before the ashram
was built the site was a forested region full of snakes. It is also said that
Gandhi forbade the killing of any of those snakes. It was in this place by the
banks of Sabarmati river that the ashram was built. The historical importance
of this site is not limited to being a settlement for Gandhi, but he also
initiated his first anti-British movement from Sabarmati ashram. He started the
textile worker strike from this place. Not just this, he also started his
campaign against untouchability from this very ashram. To witness the aura of
this place, one can have a stop-overat any resorts in Gujarat before heading over to the ashram.
The ashram has a lot to
offer for any tourist. From occasional exhibitions to a museum dedicated to the
time Gandhi and his associates spend in the ashram, a visit to the Sabarmati
ashram is truly an enlightening experience. The event that etched Sabarmati
ashram in the hearts and minds of Indian happened when Gandhi in his bid to
non- cooperation and Satyagraha, rebelled against the very exploitative salt
tax imposed by the British rulers. He along with his closest seventy-eight
associates to break this tax. It is this Dandi march that set-in motion the
final movement that led to the independence of this nation.
If the sheer history
associated with this place enough to lure in tourists, then the ashram also
exhibits the charkha Gandhi used himself, as well as his writing desk and a lot
of his personal belongings like his khadi kurta, a yarn spun by the freedom
fighter himself and his hand-written letters. Along with these the ashram also
exhibits life sized paintings and numerous enlarged photographs of historic
events. The rich ashram library also boasts of about thirty thousand books
dealing with the life and times of Gandhi.
For a tourist staying
in five star hotels in Ahmedabad the simplicity with which the ashram
dwellers lead their lives might come across as a cultural shock of some kind.
Overall, a visit to the Sabarmati ashram can be a thoroughly
breath-taking experience.
A visit to Ahmedabad is incomplete without visiting Sabarmati
Ashram, so make sure you don’t miss this place!
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