On the occasion of the 78th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’s martyrdom (January 30, 2026), the Sevagram Ashram Pratishthan Wardha, Maharashtra, organized a series of solemn tributes to honour the life and legacy of Bapu.
The day’s commemorative programme at the Ashram began at 5:45 am with a traditional Bhajan chanting walk beginning from the Nai Talim Ghanti Ghar (Bell House) and concluding at Gandhi’s iconic hut, Bapu Kuti. A special interreligious prayer meeting was held 6 am in front of Bapu Kuti, another traditional practice followed at the Ashram on the occasion. A symbolic 11.5-hour continuous spinning session on the charkha (spinning wheel) took place on the verandah of Bapu Kuti. around 28,000 meters of yarn was spun on charkhas on the occasion.
This anniversary was also marked by international participation, including a visit from a global delegation as part of exploring and experiencing Gandhi in the historic setting of Sevagram Ashram on the occasion. The group was led by Shri Louis Campana, President of Gandhi International and Shanti Association, France. He was also a recipient of the Jamnalal Bajaj International Award for promoting Gandhian values abroad. The visiting delegation consisted of members of the Communities of Ark of Lanza del Vasto, including its worldwide director Mrs. Margarete Hiller from Germany.
A commemorative programme was held at the Seminar Hall of Library and Research, in which Dr. Siby K. Joseph, Director of the centre, made a presentation viz. “Last Moments of Mahatma” based on the iconic pictures taken by French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson, who captured the life of Gandhi before and after the assassination, including the funeral pyre and immersion of Gandhi’s ashes at River Ganges. It also covered the media reporting worldwide about Mahatma’s assassination. It was followed by a presentation about the Communities of Ark of Lanza del Vasto and Nonviolent Struggles: Relevance in Today’s World by Shri Louis Campana, a direct disciple of Lanza del Vasto or Shanti Das, Mrs. Margarete Hiller, director of Communities of Ark Mr.Christophe Grigri, Coordinator of Gandhi International, France.
January 30 marked the end of the Gandhian immersion programme of the international delegation. Eight members of the international delegation who spent 5 days at the Ashram were felicitated by Shri Vijay Tambe, Secretary Sevagram Ashram Pratishthan, Dr. Ulhas Jajoo, Shri Prashant Nagose, Shri Anil Pharsole, and others. It was followed by the unveiling of three ink drawings of Gandhi’s abodes at Kochrab, Sabarmati, and Sevagram by artist Shri Susheel Kumar Gotla from Hyderabad. A sculpture of Gandhi by the same artist was presented to Shri Louis Campana, leader of the international delegation. A drawing of Bapu Kuti by the artist was presented to Margarete Hiller, and a drawing of Jesus Christ—a replica of the photo of Jesus Christ kept in Gandhi’s hut when he was residing there—was presented to Dr. Siby K. Joseph on the occasion. The Artist, Shri Susheel Kumar Gotla was also facilitated on the occasion.
A third reprint of the book viz. The 1924 Belgaum Congress Session: A Pictorial Narrative of Mahatma Gandhi’s Presidential Debut, written by Siby K. Joseph and Basavaraj N. Akki, was also released on the occasion by Shri Louis Campana and Mrs. Margarete Hiller in the presence of the first author and Shri Vijay Tambe and Shri Susheel Kumar Gotla, who designed the cover page for the third reprint.
The commemorative programme concluded with evening prayer at the ashram.
