The Mahatma

Some great souls are born in this world, to resurrect humanity, fighting against all odds, society, selfishness and setting the role model, showing us the path. These men are the ones who rekindle hope in the most despaired by making us believe that  kindness and  compassion  still  exist in this world. These men are revered by one and all and are remembered for ever. One such great soul is The Mahatma (meaning great soul).

Mohandas Karam Chand Gandhi (M K Gandhi), known as Mahatma, Gandhi, Bapu (father), or Mahatma Gandhi. He lead India to fight for its freedom. Today if we Indians are free and living happily, it is the selfless struggle of many known and unknown freedom fighters lead by Gandhiji.

Gandhiji was born to Karamchand Gandhi (father) and Putli Bai (mother) in Porbandar a coastal town in Gujrath state. Putli Bai was a devout Hindu and observed all the traditions of a Vashnavite. Gandhiji was greatly influenced by his mother. Vegetarianism, fasting for self purification, kindness, compassion towards the weak and helpless, tolerance, simple living, believing in truth and so many other such qualities were instilled from a very young age. Epics, other classic Indian stories  and mythological heroes like Sravana Kumar, Raja Harischandra and most of all Lord Rama had great impact on the young mind of Gandhiji.

At the age of 13, he was married to Kasturbai. He went to London (1888), became a barrister, and after returning (1891) to India, he struggled for his career in law. In 1983, he went to the Colony of Natal in South Africa, on a contract with an Indian firm.

Here he was a victim of the racial discrimination. Many such incidents made Gandhiji think about social injustice and sowed the seeds for his fight against all such social injustices and atrocities against the week and down trodden. It was here he started the famous, Satyagraha (devotion to truth) through non violence, mass civil disobedience, protesting in a peaceful manner.

In 1916, he returned to India, and was exposed to various, social and political ills plaguing India and the hardships faced by the Indians. He traveled across India saw the plight of the poor, learned about their miserable lives and prevalent social evils,. He took to wearing Khadi (home spun)- a dhoti and an upper cloth. He was ridiculed as half naked fakir by some. However, his promotion of khadi and indigenous products had a high impact on Indians, who took to home spinning and using indigenous clothes, articles and simple way of life by shunning  foreign goods.

He awakened the Indians to fight for their freedom and lead the Indian Freedom struggle though , Satyagraha, non violence, non cooperation, civil disobedience and other such peaceful ways of protesting.  He became a role model across the world for peaceful protests against injustice. Many men and women, irrespective of caste, creed, education, rich or poor joined him. Motivated by him many women urged their menfolk to join him. My own grandmother also participated though not on the forefront, but motivating others, singing songs of freedom, helping with cash and kind, educating women and children and supporting the struggle in general.
He succeeded  in freeing India in 1947 through this non violent struggle much to the amazement of the world. He was assassinated on 30th January 1948. It was a shock to the nation and world and Indians observed the mourning period, as if they lost a member in their family.

His birthday today is being celebrated as Gandhi Jayanthi by us and across the world as International Day of Non Violence. The title of honor Mahatma was bestowed upon him by the famous poet  laureate Rabindranath Tagore.

Gandhiji is our role model as, he practiced, vegetarianism, non-violence, tolerance towards all religions, simplicity, wearing home spun, uplifting of down trodden, fighting against all social evils and many more. Is it any wonder he is called The Father Of Nation by us Indians?

His autobiography-An Autobiography of My experiments with Truth is one of my most favorites. I read it time and and again. Please read it at least once and I promise you that you will be hooked to it forever. It beautifully portrays the lives of Indians at that time, his beliefs, struggle, feelings and inspires those who read it.

He was fond of some Bhajans devotional songs like Vaishnava janatho, Raghupathy Raghava Raja Ram, and Hymns like Wondrous Cross, Rock of Ages and many more. One of the Hymns, Abide with me was also very much liked by him. Vaishnava jantho and Abide with me are one of my favorites too.
My gran used to remember those days of freedom struggle and we used to listen her all the hardships they faced. She used to sing us the songs of freedom struggle, which are still popular today.

With Salutations, to the Mahatma, I leave you with his picture and some quotes;