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Mahatma Gandhi was an Indian lawyer, writer, and social activist. He is known as the father of the nation who devoted his life to achieving independence for India. For this, he led numerous movements, like the non-cooperation movement, the Khilafat movement, and the civil disobedience movement. Gandhi was the Mahatma, which loosely translates into Great Soul, in the eyes of thousands of people. Let’s learn some more interesting facts about Mahatma Gandhi hereon in this blog.
Table of Contents
Facts About Mahatma Gandhi History
Did you know that Mahatma Gandhi shared his birthday with Lal Bahadur Shastri, one of the greatest Indian freedom fighters? If not, then here are more such historical Mahatma Gandhi facts you are yet to learn:
- Mahatma Gandhi is known as the Father of the Nation.
- He was born on 2 October 1869 in Porbandar, Gujarat.
- Mahatma Gandhi shares his birthday with Lal Bahadur Shastri, who was born in 1904.
- He pursued law for one year at the University of Bombay.
- He attended University College London and completed his graduation in 1891.
- The United Nations declared 2nd October the International Day of Non-violence to commemorate his birth anniversary.
- Gandhi was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize five times but never received the award.
- In 1930, Time Magazine named Mahatma Gandhi Person of the Year.
- Before taking a vow of celibacy, Mahatma Gandhi had four sons.
- Mahatma Gandhi’s mother tongue was Gujarati.
- Gandhi did his schooling at Alfred High School, Rajkot.
- He was the youngest child and had 2 brothers and 1 sister.
- Gandhi married Kasturba Gandhi at the young age of 13.
- Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated in the garden of the former Birla House.
- Gandhi Memorial or Gandhi Museum was established in the city of Madurai, Tamil Nadu. It contains blood-stained garments that Gandhi was wearing when he was assassinated by Nathuram Godse.
- India observes 30 January and 23 March as Martyr’s Day or Shaheed Diwas.
- Rabindranath Tagore gave Gandhi the title of Mahatma.
- He set up Tolstoy Farm at a distance of 21 miles from Johannesburg, South Africa for his colleagues in the Satyagraha struggle.
Interesting Facts about Mahatma Gandhi for Kids
Here are some more interesting facts about Mahatma Gandhi for kids participating in the school assembly or any quiz activity on the Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti this year.
- He started the Dandi Salt March in 1930 and the Quit India Movement in 1942.
- The Reserve Bank of India issued The Gandhi series banknotes which included a portrait of Mahatma Gandhi on 10 and 500 rupee banknotes.
- He penned numerous influential books, like The Story of My Experiment with Truth, Hind Swaraj, Gokhale: My Political Guru, and Satyagraha in South Africa.
- It is said that Mahatma Gandhi’s funeral procession was about 8 kilometres long.
- Gandhi wanted equal treatment for the Indian lower caste, the untouchables. He called them ‘harijans’ meaning children of God.
- He got engaged to Kasturba at the age of 7. Hence, he was a teenage newlywed.
- The British government did not permit taking photos of Gandhi during fasting. They were afraid this would add to the demand for independence.
- Winston Churchill was a political critic of Gandhi.
- Gandhi hired people to fight for the British during the First World War. However, he was against India’s involvement during the Second World War.
- Kasturba Gandhi’s death in 1944 is celebrated as Mother’s Day in India.
- Gandhi studied law in London and was known for his bad handwriting.
- Starting from 1996 Gandhi’s image was in all Indian currency.
- Mahatma Gandhi had lived in South Africa for almost 21 years. He was imprisoned in that country as well.
- The Moral Basis of Vegetarianism is a book written by Gandhi.
- . He did not want to create a cult following called Gandhism. He stated that he has nothing new to teach anyone. Non-violence and truth are old as hills.
- He was assassinated (on January 30, 1948 )by Nathuram Vinayak Godse. More than 2 million people attended the funeral.
- His ashes are now kept in a Los Angeles Shrine.
- He was a shy student and would run back home after school hours.
- He was a 5-time nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize but never got the award.
- In 1930, the Time Magazine named Gandhi as the Person of the Year.
- He started his activism in South Africa. It was not in India.
- Martin Luther King Jr while winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 acknowledged the work of Gandhi
Unknown Facts about Mahatma Gandhi
Apart from the above-mentioned Mahatma Gandhi history facts, here are some unknown facts about the father of the nation known only to Gandhians:-
- Gandhi was a passionate vegetarian and often cooked his own meals. He even experimented with different vegetarian dishes and shared his recipes with others.
- Gandhi was a strong advocate for animal rights. He often walked barefoot to avoid stepping on insects and even carried a small broom to sweep away ants in front of him.
- Gandhi was fascinated by history and often read biographies of great leaders like Alexander the Great and Napoleon. He believed that studying history could teach us valuable lessons about the past.
- Gandhi was a prolific letter writer and corresponded with many people around the world. His letters often contained his thoughts on politics, philosophy, and religion.
- Gandhi enjoyed listening to and playing music.
- He was particularly fond of bhajans (devotional songs) and often sang them with his family and friends.
Places to Visit to Honor the Life of Gandhi
There are several places in India that you can visit to honour the contributions of Mahatma Gandhi. Some of these places are provided below:
Sabarmati Ashram- The Indian PM Jawaharlal Nehru who was also a disciple of Gandhi inaugurated this museum (1963). Gandhi has lived here for 12 years with his wife. He started his non-violent march against the British Salt Law (1930). For this, he used this ashram as his base.
Dehi-Gandhi Memorial- At Raj Ghat, a black marble for the Gandhi Memorial is there. This is where Gandhi was cremated (in 1948) after the assassination.
Birthday of Gandhi
Gandhi’s birthday is celebrated every year on October 2nd. This is a national holiday in India. This day is popularly known as Gandhi Jayanti. In the year 2007, to honour the message of non-violence propagated by Gandhi, the UN declared 2nd October as the International Day of Nonviolence.
Popular Quotes By Mahatma Gandhi
These are some of the most popular quotes by Mahatma Gandhi
- The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others
- It is difficult but not impossible to conduct strictly honest business. . . . What is true is that honesty is incompatible with the amassing of a large fortune.
- It is better to be violent if there is violence in our hearts than to put on the cloak of nonviolence to cover impotence.
- You must be the change you wish to see in the world.
- The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated.
- An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind.
- Man is but the product of his thoughts. What he thinks, he becomes.
- There is more to life than increasing its speed.
Mahatma Gandhi Quiz with Answers
Now, let us take a look at the following multiple-choice questions of the Mahatma Gandhi quiz to select the right answer. You can later check your answer and find out your knowledge of the topic in this section itself:
Question 1: What is Mahatma Gandhi’s full name?
| A) Porbandar |
| B) Rajkot |
| C) Ahmedabad |
| D) Delhi |
Question 2: What was Mahatma Gandhi’s full name?
| A) Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi |
| B) Karamchand Mohandas Gandhi |
| C) Mohan Karamchand Gandhi |
| D) Karamchand Gandhi Mohan |
Question 3: Which movement did Gandhi lead against the British salt tax?
| A) Non-Cooperation Movement |
| B) Quit India Movement |
| C) Salt March (Dandi March) |
| D) Civil Disobedience Movement |
Question 4: What is the name of Gandhi’s autobiography?
| A) My Life and Times |
| B) The Story of My Experiments with Truth |
| C) The Essence of Truth |
| D) Truth and Non-Violence |
Question 5: Who is considered the political guru of Mahatma Gandhi?
| A) Jawaharlal Nehru |
| B) Bal Gangadhar Tilak |
| C) Gopal Krishna Gokhale |
| D) Subhas Chandra Bose |
Check your answers here!
| Answers |
| 1. A) Porbandar |
| 2. A) Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi |
| 3. C) Salt March (Dandi March) |
| 4. B) The Story of My Experiments with Truth |
| 5. C) Gopal Krishna Gokhale |
FAQs
Mahatma Gandhi is special for leading India’s independence movement through nonviolent resistance, inspiring global movements for civil rights and social justice with his principles of truth and peace.
Mahatma Gandhi is well known for his philosophy of nonviolent resistance.His commitment to ahimsa and peaceful protest not only galvanized millions in India but also inspired global movements.
Facts about Mahatma Gandhi are – He was born on October 2, 1869 in Porbandar, India, Known as the “Father of the Nation” in India and His famous protest was the Salt March in 1930.
Mahatma Gandhi was known for his role in the Indian Independence. He propagated non-violence and lived a modest life. He has fasted for a long period to achieve political and social progress. One thing that is special about Gandhi is his ability to view unity between everything.
Gandi Jayanti is celebrated on the second of October every year. The UN General Assembly declared this day (in 2007)) as the International Day of non-violence.
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