Journalism of Courage
The iconic Aga Khan Palace, also known as the Gandhi National Memorial, will be opened to the public on October 2, the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. The palace has been shut for a couple of months for restoration work.
To make the museum experience an interactive one for lakhs of visitors, its restoration and renovation work was taken up by the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) as part of measures to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. Apart from giving the palace a fresh coat of paint and illuminating the entire structure, the restoration work also included fixing the leaking roof at the main museum.
Gajanan Mandavare, senior conservator at the ASI’s Pune sub-division, said the brick wall and other structures around the samadhi were being repaired. The project cost is estimated to be around Rs 4 crore. The palace, located on an area spread across 16 acres, houses paintings, photographs and personal belongings of Mahatma Gandhi and Kasturba.
Both Kasturba and Gandhi’s personal secretary, Mahadev Desai, were interned at the palace from August 9, 1942, the day the Quit India movement started. Also imprisoned here were Gandhi’s associates Miraben and Sarojini Naidu, among others. While Desai died of a heart attack six days after his arrest, Kasturba passed away 18 months later after a prolonged illness. The samadhis of both Kasturba and Mahadev Desai are located here.
To reinforce the teachings of Gandhi, various programmes and prayer services have also been organised on October 2. According to Shribala Chordia, trustee secretary of the Gandhi National Memorial Society, and another trustee, Armene Modi, bhajans and sarva dharma prarthana (all-religion prayer meets) will be held at the palace. A play, Bharat Bhagya Vidhata, will be staged in the evening at the Annabhau Sathe Art and Culture auditorium.
