Mahatma Gandhi's great-grandson Kidar Ramgobin (right) hands over the artefacts to Alagan Annamalai, the director of the National Gandhi Museum (centre) and India's Minister of External Affairs, Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
Image: SUPPLIED
Several historically significant artefacts belonging to Mahatma Gandhi have been donated to the National Gandhi Museum in India.
The collection includes documents and letters related to Gandhi, as well as a sari worn by his wife, Kasturba, made from thread spun by Gandhi while he was in prison.
The items were officially handed over to Alagan Annamalai, director of the National Gandhi Museum, by Kidar Ramgobin, Gandhi’s great-grandson and son of Ela Gandhi, in the presence of India’s Minister of External Affairs, Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
Gandhi’s granddaughter, Ela Gandhi, said the artefacts were sent to India for safekeeping. She explained that the items were initially displayed at the museum in Phoenix, South Africa, during its inauguration in 1970. However, due to riots in 1985, they had to be removed, and some documents sustained minor burn marks. Since then, they had been kept aside, and the decision was made to transfer them to the National Gandhi Museum for proper preservation and display.
One of the most treasured artefacts in the collection is Kasturba’s sari, which holds deep historical significance. “One of the saris was made using material from thread spun while Gandhi was in prison. When people would leave prison, they would take this thread. So, Gandhi sent that for Kasturba, and that was probably the only personal gift he gave her,” Ela Gandhi explained.
The Phoenix Settlement Trust, founded by Gandhi in South Africa, and the Gandhi Development Trust in Durban, played a pivotal role in facilitating the donation. Officials from the Ministry of External Affairs in both Durban and India also assisted in the transfer of the artefacts.
The donated items include Kasturba’s sari with a red border, blouse, and underskirt, along with Khadi cloth, Gandhi’s lungi, and a portion of a garland made of cotton spun by Gandhi, which was worn by Sushilaben during her marriage to Manilal Gandhi. The collection is also accompanied by a letter detailing its origins.
In addition to the clothing items, the donation includes important historical documents such as the deed of transfer of the Phoenix settlement, financial records like the Phoenix settlement balance sheet and the Passive Resistance Fund balance sheet, and various licences related to the publication of Indian Opinion. Other significant documents include telegrams received in 1913 from Charlestown, as well as letters written to Devadas Gandhi by Manilal Gandhi and to Sushila Gandhi, Manilal’s wife.