Gandhi Jayanti 2024

Gandhi Jayanti is the birth anniversary of Mohandas Das karam Chand Gandhi. It is celebrated on 2nd October every year all over the nation. The day is observed as public holiday across the country. India remembers and will always remember the important contribution of Mahatma Gandhi in the freedom struggle. He is given the title ‘Father of the Nation’ due to his prominent role in India’s independence. Besides his contribution, it is hard to forget his role in the betterment of the country. IN fact, his birthday is the great time to pay homage to the great leader of the country who sacrificed his life and made India free.

Gandhi Jayanti Celebrations

As already told that Gandhi Jayanti is an important day in the history of Indiaand thus celebrated in a unique way every year. Gandhi Jayanti is a national festival including other two eminent festivals such as Independence Day and Republic Day. It is celebrated in all the states and union territories of the country. Schools and colleges arrange a special assembly in remembrance of Gandhiji. His favourite bhajan ‘Raghupati Raghava Raja Ram’ sung by the school and college students. The statue of Gandhiji is decorated with flowers and wreath. Since, it is national holiday, government colleges, schools, and offices kept closed for this occasion.

Life of Mahatma Gandhi

Mahatma Gandhi, a renowned and well-known personality in India’s history. He has completed his Law graduation and became follower of Jainism religion. He stayed in London from 1888 to 1891 and laid a vegetarian life. Later, he joined executive committee of the London Vegetarian Committee and started reading holy books to attain knowledge on different religions. He travelled different places in the country to encourage the countrymen to fight against the British rule. Later in 1951, he established an ashram in Ahemdabad, Gujarat for people of any religion and caste. He spent a huge amount of life in this ashram. In the year 1932, Mahatma Gandhi was on 6 days fast to safeguard the Untouchables. 
Important Symbols: The three significant symbols play an essential role in celebration of Gandhi Jayanti:

• Martyr's Column: Mahatma Gandhi was attacked on 30th January 1948.
• Raj Ghat:  A place where his body was scalded on 31st January 1948.  
• Triveni Sangam: A place where all three holy rivers of India (Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati) join meet.

Facts about Gandhiji

• Mahatma Gandhi's mother tongue was Gujarati.
• He completed his schooling at Alfred High School, Rajkot.
• His birthday 2 October is celebrated all over the nation as International Nonviolence Day.
• He is the youngest child of his parents and had two brothers and one sister.
• Mahatma Gandhi was Hindu Modh Baniya by caste.
• His personal secretary name was Mahadev Desai.
• He was assassinated in the garden of the former Birla House.
• Gandhi Ji and author Leo Tolstoy get into contact with each other through letters.
• He set up a small colony and named it Tolstoy Farm in South Africa for his colleagues in the Satyagraha struggle.
• He conducted two important movements during freedom struggle one was Dandi March in 1930 Quit India Movement in 1942.
• He was given the title ‘Mahatma’ by Nobel Prize-winning poet Rabindranath Tagore.
• Gandhiji did not attend Jawaharlal Nehru’s tryst of destiny speech to celebrate independence.
• According to some sources, his funeral procession was 8 kilometers long.
• The largest bank of India, Reserve Bank of India issued Gandhi series banknotes by displaying the portrait of Mahatma Gandhi since its introduction in 1996.
• In 1959, Gandhi Memorial Museum/Gandhi Museum was founded in Madurai, Tamil Nadu.
• Besides freedom, he demanded fair treatment for untouchables and did various fasts in their support. He gave the name ‘Harijan’ to untouchables meaning "children of God".
• In 1982, a film based named ‘Gandhi’ was released based on the life of Gandhiji. The movie won the Academic Award for the best motion picture.
• In 1930, he was given the title ‘Man of the Year’ by Times Magazine. He was a great writer and work is complied in 50,000 pages.
• Mahatma Gandhi was nominated for Nobel Peace Prize five times in the following years 1937, 1938, 1939, 1947, and 1948.
• Great Britain with whom he fought India’s freedom struggle released a stamp honoring him after twenty years of his death.