Modi to initiate “Ashram Bhoomi Vandana” at Mahatma Gandhi Sabarmati Ashram Reconstruction Project on Mar 12

The Ashram embodies the essence of Gandhiji's profound ideals, message of simple living, and cherished values.

Gandhinagar: On the occasion of Dandi March Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will initiate “Ashram Bhoomi Vandana” at the ‘Mahatma Gandhi Sabarmati Ashram Reconstruction Project’ in Ahmedabad on Tuesday, March 12, 2024.

Sabarmati Ashram stands tall among the monuments that have huge historical significance as it became witness to the churnings of India’s freedom movement with a congregation of leaders from India and across the world.

---

The Ashram embodies the essence of Gandhiji’s profound ideals, message of simple living, and cherished values.

Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel will also be present alongside the Prime Minister at the ceremony.

During his stint as Gujarat’s Chief Minister, PM Modi exhorted people in India and around the world to abide by Gandhiji’s principles. With a vision to enable the coming generations to first-hand experience the sobriety, serenity, and ideals of Gandhiji’s life, the Prime Minister has conceptualised the Sabarmati Ashram Reconstruction Project.

Planned with a budget of Rs 1200 crore, the ambitious project aims to revamp the infrastructure surrounding Sabarmati Ashram, provide state-of-the-art amenities to visitors, and establish a world-class memorial dedicated to Gandhi ji. The memorial will inspire the coming generations and work towards strengthening Gandhiji’s timeless principles of truth, non-violence, and satyagraha.

The renovated Ashram will host a number of interactive exhibitions showcasing various facets of Gandhiji’s life, yatras, salient movements of India’s freedom struggle, and the Ashram’s illustrious heritage. The ashram will also be equipped with an interpretation centre and public amenities of global accessibility standards, such as a food court, souvenir shops, among others.

In order to enable visitors to recreate and get a glimpse of Gandhiji’s daily routine, hands-on workshops on activities such as spinning a wheel and producing hand-made textiles and paper will also be incorporated at the Ashram.

In the rejuvenation of Sabarmati Ashram, utmost care will be taken to retain its timeless essence while refashioning it with a new outlook.

The project includes the conservation of 20 old buildings, the precise restoration of 13 buildings, and the redevelopment of three buildings, keeping in mind the sacrosanct goal of abiding by the Ashram’s original architectural simplicity and essence. The aim is to furnish the ashram in such a manner that it exudes greenery, serenity, and lush tranquilly to all visitors.

In 1917, upon his return to India from South Africa, Mahatma Gandhi founded the Sabarmati Ashram on the banks of the Sabarmati River in Ahmedabad. The ashram stood as a pivot of the Indian Independence movement as the humble, serene and pious Ashram became the place where Gandhi ji steered and strategized the freedom movement against the mighty British empire that had more than half of the world as its colony.