Sabarmati Ashram Ahmedabad Gujarat History and Interesting Facts

Sabarmati Ashram Quick Facts

Sabarmati Ashram Overview

The names of many such great people are recorded in the golden pages of Indian history, who had done a heroic act like getting India independence from the British. One of those unforgettable great people was "Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi" who is also called Mahatma Gandhi or Father of the Nation of India.

The Sabarmati Ashram associated with Mahatma Gandhi is located on the banks of the Sabarmati River near Ahmedabad, the administrative center of Ahmedabad district in the Indian state of Gujarat.

Sabarmati Ashram History

After his return from South Africa, Gandhi's first ashram in India was established in Kochra area of Ahmedabad which was called Satyagraha Ashram. That ashram was later shifted to an open fertile piece of land near the banks of the Sabarmati river on 17 June 1917.

The main reasons for relocating this ashram were Farming, Animal Husbandry, Cow breeding, khadi and related creative activities that Mahatma Gandhi wanted to do there. The Sabarmati Ashram was the home of Gandhiji for almost 13 years, serving as the main centers of the Indian freedom struggle.

While in this ashram, Gandhi created a school that focused on some of the subjects such as labor itself, Aagriculture and Literacy, and self-reliance, etc. From this ashram Gandhi started the Dandi Yatra in protest against the Salt Law made by the British and broke the salt law and freed India from salt tax.

Mahatma Gandhi gave a promise to the people of India on 12 March 1930 that he would not return to the ashram until India achieved Independence. India became independent on 15 August 1947 but Gandhiji was staying in Delhi to do some work that he was assassinated in January 1948 and after that he could never return to Sabarmati Ashram.

Sabarmati Ashram Interesting Facts

1. The First ashram for Mahatma Gandhi was built on 25 May 1915 by Jeevanlal Desai at Kochrab Bungalow in Gujarat, which was called Satyagraha Ashram.
2. Ashram is built on the banks of the Sabarmati river in Ahmedabad, the most famous district of Gujarat, this ashram is also known as Harijan Ashram.
3. This famous Sabarmati Ashram was built on 17th June 1917 to fulfill Mahatma Gandhi's stay in India and fulfill his wishes like agriculture, animal husbandry etc.
4. Mahatma Gandhi lived in this ashram for about 13 years from the year 1917 to the year 1930.
5. More than 40 people used to live with Mahatma Gandhi in this ashram till the year 1917.
6. While living in Sabarmati Ashram, Mahatma Gandhi wrote a letter to the then Viceroy of India on March 2, 1930, informing that he was going to start a 9-day civil disobedience movement.
7. Mahatma Gandhi started a historic Dandi Yatra from Sabarmati Ashram itself on 12 March 1930 with 78 people of the ashram to end the salt law made by the British, after which he could never return to this ashram.
8. This ashram is open for tourists every day of the year from 8.00 am to 7.00.pm.
9. This Ashram is visited not only by prominent leaders of India but also by leaders from abroad, such as Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on 17 January 2018 and Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on 13 September 2017 together with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Had visited this magnificent ashram.