Gandhi Memorial stone (Varanasi)
The Gandhi Memorial stone on the grounds of the Benares Hindu University in Varanasi commemorates a visit of Mahatma Gandhi to the university and the house of V. A. Sundaram in January 1942. The stone marks a spot in the garden of Sundaram's house where Gandhi performed a ritual prayer. Gandhi visited the house several times, from which derives its present-day name of “Gandhi Bhawan“ (Gandhi house).
Some online maps mark the memorial stone as a point of interest named “Gandhi Chabutara“ (or Chabutra; translating as “prayer platform”).[1]
Gandhi's visit in 1942[edit]
On 21 January 1942, Gandhi came to the Benares Hindu University (BHU) as a guest of honour for its Silver Jubilee celebration.[2] Gandhi had closely followed the BHU's development since its founding in 1916 and entertained friendly ties with the university's founder Madan Mohan Malaviya.[3] The connection between Gandhi and Malaviya was in many instances promoted by V. A. Sundaram.[4] He was at once a personal secretary of Malaviya and a long-standing follower and confidant of Gandhi.
Gandhi delivered a ceremonial speech on this day and, in the evening paid a visit to Sundaram's house. It lay just a few steps behind Malaviya's house and was well familiar to Gandhi from earlier visits.[5] At Sundaram's request, Gandhi participated in a ritual evening prayer (“Sandhyavandana“) of the family in the house's garden.[6]
At a later date, after Gandhi's death in 1948, Sundaram had the memorial stone set up at the exact spot where Gandhi spoke the prayer.[7] A marble plaque on the stone's side explains its motive (inscription in Hindi, here translated):
The Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi visited Varanasi for the Silver Jubilee of the Benaras Hindu University on 21 January 1942 and performed Sandhyavandana at this spot.
V. A. Sundaram and house “Gandhi Bhawan“[edit]
Sundaram was one of the earliest followers and disciples of Gandhi in India.[8] In 1915 and 1916, he resided in Gandhi's first Indian Ashram of Kochrab near Ahmedabad. Later, he became an activist in the Indian Independence Movement and met Malaviya whom he followed to Benares/Varanasi and the BHU at the beginning of 1926.[9]
In search of an accomodation on the still widely undeveloped university grounds at Benares, Sundaram found a curious building under a tree (“marble room“), previously inhabited by a Sadhu. With Malaviya's approval, he moved in and named it “Krishnakutir“ (see preserved name plate at the house's side entrance).[9] Over the following 20 years, the university got the house expanded to its present-day scale for Sundaram and his family.[9]
Sundaram welcomed many prominent guests at his house: besides Gandhi, other leading independence activists, politicians, writers and scientists. The house's guest book was signed by C. Rajagopalachari, S. Radhakrishnan, C. Vijayaraghavachariar, Vallabhbhai Patel, V. S. Srinivasa Sastri, P. S. Sivaswami Iyer, C. Y. Chintamani, M. S. Aney, N. Gopalaswami Ayyangar, T. Raghavaiah, T. Vijayaraghavacharya, W. Somerset Maugham, James Cousins, K. S. Venkataramani, C. V. Raman, Birbal Sahni, Verrier Elwin, Pierre Cérésole, Ellen Wilkinson, and correspondents of many international newspapers.[9]
One of the most distinguished house guests was India's head of state C. Rajagopalachari in 1948. The Governor-General commemorated the recently deceased Gandhi alongside Sundaram at the memorial stone (see photo).[10] Another guest was the German travel book author Maximilian von Rogister. He visited the house and the memorial site in 1959 and wrote about it in his book “Indien ist anders“ (1964).[11]
In 1999, the BHU presented a plan to arrange the former residences of Malaviya and Sundaram into a new “Heritage complex“.[12] Sundaram's house was attributed the name “Gandhi Bhawan“, with reference to Gandhi's repeated visits and the memorial stone. This name is currently found in the address of the present house occupant, IGNOU Open University.[13]
Notes[edit]
- ↑ "Gandhi Chabutara" at Google Maps (retrieved 8 Nov 2018)
- ↑ see chronologies of Mahatma Gandhi's life and work, e.g. at gandhiserve.org (retrieved 8 Nov 2018)
- ↑ Gandhi visited the BHU in 1916, 1920, 1921, 1929, 1934, 1936, 1939 und 1942 (see Gandhi chronologies and Sundaram 1942). About Gandhi's friendship with Malaviya, see Coll. Works, Vol. 28/Doc. 30; Vol. 81/Doc. 717; Vol. 93/Doc. 70; and Gandhi's letters to Sundaram (see following note)
- ↑ Coll. Works, Vol. 72/Doc. 591; Vol. 75/Doc. 312; Vol. 76/Doc. 382; Vol. 92/Doc. 498, Vol. 93/Doc. 44; Vol. 93/Doc. 172. During his professional years as Malaviya's secretary, Sundaram paid regular visits to Gandhi, cf. Sundaram 1942
- ↑ For the houses' location see BHU site plan at the unversity's website (houses in question are nos. 11 and 13). Gandhi had previously visited Sundaram's house in 1934 and 1936, see Sundaram 1942, p. 6. (Link retrieved 8 Nov 2018)
- ↑ Saraswati Albano-Müller 2001 and 2003. In Sundaram 1942, it is specified that it was an evening prayer
- ↑ cf. Rogister 1964
- ↑ Wikipedia V. A. Sundaram: Gandhi came to India in January 1915, four months later Sundaram became his disciple
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Sundaram 1940
- ↑ another photograph of the same occasion is found at Wikipedia V. A. Sundaram
- ↑ Rogister 1964
- ↑ Project “Heritage Complex“ presented on the BHU website (retrieved 8 Nov 2018)
- ↑ IGNOU Regional center Varanasi with address detail “Gandhi Bhawan“: http://rcvaranasi.ignou.ac.in/address/1 (retrieved 8 Nov 2018)
References[edit]
- Sundaram, V. A. (1940). Alma Mater. Benares Hindu University Press, Benares. (p. 1-4)
- Sundaram, V. A. (1942). In the Service of the Motherland 1915-1942, Benares. (brochure, 16 pages)
- Sundaram, V. A. (Ed., 1949) Homage to Malaviyaji, Benares Hindu University, Benares. (p. 2-4 und 57 ff., on the close relationship of Gandhi to Malaviya). Online at BHU library, Mahamana Digital Library (retrieved 8 Nov 2018)
- The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi (electronic book), New Delhi, Publications Division Government of India, 1999, 98 volumes. Available from various sources, e.g. gandhiserve.org (retrieved 8 Nov 2018)
- Rogister, Maximilian von (1964). Indien ist anders. Dörner, Düsseldorf. (p. 385 ff.)
- 2 radio interviews with Saraswati Albano-Müller, a daughter of Sundaram living in Germany since 1961, on German radio; both with a recount of Gandhi's visit to her parental home in 1942: Radio SWR 2, „Zeitgenossen“, 6 May 2001 (at 00:55); WDR 5, „Erlebte Geschichten“, 30 Nov 2003 (at 11:12, link retrieved 8 Nov 2018)
Coordinates: 25°16′36.92″N 82°59′49.18″E / 25.2769222°N 82.9969944°E
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