Book highlighting legacy of Mahatma Gandhi released at Sabarmati Ashram

Ahmedabad: Sabarmati Ashram Preservation and Memorial Trust (SAPMT), which manages Mahatma Gandhi founded Sabarmati Ashram, on Wednesday released a book titled “Gandhi’s Places – An Architectural Documentation.”

The book has detailed architectural drawings of 11 core sites and representative drawings of 15 Index sites. An official release stated that each set of drawings is accompanied by a note, usually in Mahatma Gandhi’s own words, on the significance of the site. 

The book also contains three essays reflecting on the meanings of the built heritage of Gandhi. The note claimed that it is the first book of its kind. It would be useful to architects, designers and historians of the built environment. The book has been published with the support of the Gandhi Heritage Sites Mission and Ministry of Culture, New Delhi. 

The book has been edited by professor and architect Neelkanth Chhaya, architect Riyaz Tayyibji and professor and Gandhian scholar Tridip Suhrud.

The release stated that in 2013, the Ministry of Culture, Government of India had set up a project under the Gandhi Heritage Sites Mission to identify, conserve and preserve the built heritage associated with the life and work of Gandhi. The task of coordinating the creation of the architectural database was entrusted to SAPMT. 

The book was unveiled at SAPMT in the presence of the trustees, including Kartikeya V Sarabhai who is also the chairperson of the trust, Sudarshan Iyengar, Nitin Shukla, Ashoke Chatterjee, and Jayashree Lalbhai. 

During the launch, heads of Gandhian museums, including the National Gandhi Museum in Delhi, the National Memorial Museum in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, Mani Bhavan in Mumbai, Gandhi Museum in Barrackpore, West Bengal, and Gandhi Smruti in Bhavnagar, Gujarat, were also present. 

Representatives from allied trusts, including Harijan Ashram Trust, Khadi Gramodyog Trust, Prayog Samiti, Sabarmati Ashram Gaushala, Navjivan, and Gujarat Vidyapith, were also present. The heads of museums and trustees of associated trusts also discussed the redevelopment plan of the ashram.