Feeling the presence of Gandhi in Sevagram

Sevagram is a small village near Wardha town (8 km). Mahatma Gandhi reached the village on the 30th April,1936 early in the morning at about 5 a.m. He remained here for about five to six days. He called the villagers and the purpose of his visit and sought their permission to settle down here.  Gandhiji was 67 years old when he came to Sevagram. From then on, Sevagram has become an inspiring place. Many decisions on import ant national matters and movements were taken at Sevagram. It became the central place for a number of institutions for the nation building activities devised by Gandhiji to suit the inherent strength of this country. The peepal tree that he planted, an old telephone booth set up for him by the erstwhile British government, the hand murals of peacocks and trees on the walls of his hut, a flour grinder in the kitchen, and a basket to catch snakes lying still in a quiet corner—everything remains the way it was when Mahatma Gandhi resided at the Gandhi Ashram in Sevagram. His charkha (spinning wheel), the trademark walking stick, his khadau (wooden sandals), a set of multi-faith scriptures and most of his personal belongings are kept neatly stacked inside the hut which, like in 1936 when it was built, does not yet have an electricity connection. Sevagram, which was Gandhi’s residence for nearly 10 years, may be a forgotten village in a remote corner of Maharashtra, but it was from here that many ideas which shaped a newly emerging nation were born. From the first draft of the Quit India Movement to the focus on rural economy and new systems of education; from health and sanitation work to the fight against untouchability; and, finally, the path to freedom through Satyagraha—Sevagram is remembered as the ‘laboratory’ where Gandhi conducted most of his social experiments. All over Sevagram one could be with Gandhi and his thoughts.