A Bapu circuit to woo visitors

It’s widely known that Mahatma Gandhi started his non-violent freedom struggle from Bihar’s Champaran district from where he launched his movement against British’s atrocities on indigo farmers. But it’s not a common knowledge that Gandhiji, during his first visit to the State in 1917, actually stayed in Patna at the house of Maulana Mazharul Haq, an eminent lawyer, at his Frazer Road residence. Before leaving for Champaran, Gandhiji organised a Prathna Sabha (prayer meet) at the north-western flank of Bankipore Maidan, which later came to be known as Gandhi Maidan.

Also, Gandhi’s ashes were immersed in the Ganga here and the site was eventually named Gandhi Ghat near the holy river.

These are some of the several unknown facets of the Father of the Nation which the Bihar Tourism officials have collated and prepared a video which features destinations related to Gandhi’s association with Bihar.“Much like Buddha circuit, we have prepared a Gandhi circuit and highlighted the important places in Bihar associated with Gandhiji, including Gandhi Ghat. Many people are not even aware that Bapu’s ashes were immersed here too,” said managing director of the Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation (BSTDC), Mohammad Sohail Khan. 

The video uploaded on Youtube has taken the web world by storm, with more than 50 lakh people watching it. The short film has come at a time when the nation is celebrating 100 years of Bapu’s return to India from South Africa.

“In January 1915, Gandhiji returned to India from South Africa and landed at Mumbai port. Before leading the freedom struggle, he met his political guru Gopal Krishna Gokhale who suggested to Gandhiji that he should travel across the country to gauge the prevailing mood in India,” said noted Gandhian and secretary of the Gandhi Sanghralaya in Patna Razi Ahmed.

In 1916, when Gandhiji visited Lucknow, many leaders from Bihar met him there and urged the Mahatma to launch a movement against British’s atrocities on farmers engaged with indigo cultivation. It was then that Gandhiji decided to come to Bihar in April 1917. In fact, Gandhiji later wrote to his confidante Mirabehn saying that “it was Champaran which introduced me to India.” 

But apart from Champaran, it was  Bihar Vidyapeeth which is closely associated with Mahatma, as it was Bapu who laid its foundation on February 6, 1921. This institution, which gave education in science and arts, besides imparting training in social works like weaving/stitching, was started as an initiative under the civil disobedience movement to boycott British-run educational institutes.

Later, many engineering students too joined the institute after Maulana Mazharul Haq donated a piece of land near Sadaquat Ashram. Tragically, Vidyapeeth is non-functional since 1950s. Besides, there is a Gandhi Shivir on the sprawling campus of A N Sinha Institute where Mahatma Gandhi stayed for long in 1947. “Gandhiji was very upset when riots in Bihar took place in March 1947. It was then that he stayed here (near Ganga) between March 5 and March 30, 1947 at the place which is now called Gandhi Shivir,” said Ahmad. The State Archaeology Department has started its work to renovate the Shivir, so that a study centre could be set up here which would impart teachings on peace, truth and non-violence.

Another place of interest is Gandhi Sanghralaya, which was established in 1967. This is adjacent to the Gandhi Shivir, where Bapu stayed during his Patna visit. As per the Sanghralaya records, Mahatma visited Bihar 19 times from April 1917 to August 1947. One can find photographs of Gandhi’s childhood and records/documents related to him in the museum.

Just south of Gandhi Sanghralaya is the historic Gandhi Maidan, which was originally called Bankipore Maidan. It is said that the then Commissioner of  Patna, Mr Metcalfe, in the 19th century, decided to develop a huge open ground in the midst of town. It was initially known as Doranda Singh ground, presumably named after the name of its owner. Later, it was called Race Course Maidan, before being changed to Bankipore Maidan. It was this ground where Gandhiji held Prathna Sabha (prayer meeting) every time he visited Bihar. The Nitish government later got the world’s tallest statute of Mahatma Gandhi (70 feet tall) erected at the place where he held the prayer meet.

The Britishers called it “Lawn” as the oval-shaped ground, 1.25 miles in circumference, was covered with lush green grass. Lawn is today called Gandhi Maidan and has a significant place in modern history, as this is the ground from where late Jaya Prakash Narayan (also fondly called JP) gave a call for Sampoorna Kranti (Total revolution) against Indira Gandhi’s regime in mid-70s.

“Through the video, we have tried to make people, particularly youth, aware of places associated with Gandhi ji. This will also attract tourists to places which have not been widely reported,” averred the BSTDC official.