Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates Centenary Celebrations of Sabarmati Ashram

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 29 June 2017 inaugurated the centenary celebrations of Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

In addition, PM Modi also released the coin and postal stamp in the honour of Jain saint and philosopher Shrimad Rajchandra on his 150th birth anniversary at Abhay Ghat.

Who was Shrimad Rajchandra?

• Shrimad Rajchandra was a Jain poet, philosopher, scholar and reformer.

• He was prodigy and claimed to have recollection of his past lives at the age of seven.

• He performed Avdhan, a memory retention and recollection test, which gained him popularity. However, he later discouraged it in favour of his spiritual pursuits.

• He wrote large number of philosophical poetry including Atma Siddhi.

• He is best known for his teachings on Jainism and as a spiritual guide of Mahatma Gandhi.

About Sabarmati Ashram

• Sabarmati Ashram was one of the residences of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. He lived there for about twelve years along with his wife Kasturba Gandhi.

• It was from his base here that Gandhi led the Dandi March also known as the Salt Satyagraha on 12 March 1930.

• The ashram was originally established at the Kocharab Bungalow of Jivanlal Desai, a barrister and friend of Gandhi, on 25 May 1915. At that time, the ashram was called the Satyagraha Ashram. However, Gandhi wanted to carry out various activities such as farming and animal husbandry, which called for the need of a much larger area of useable land. Therefore, two years later on 17 June 1917, the ashram was relocated to an area of thirty-six acres on the banks of the river Sabarmati, and it came to be known as the Sabarmati Ashram.