Mumbai Day 3 -- Mani Bhavan

I couldn't not post (double negative alert) about my trip to Mani Bhavan in December so here goes...

On my third day in Mumbai, I visited Mani Bhavan. Mani Bhavan was Gandhiji's house in Bombay. I had visited Mani Bhavan when I was a kid in school, but I wanted to re-visit the place.

Along the way I came across a cow in the middle of the street and I took a picture of it to help perpetuate the stereotype of India (or at least how it is portrayed abroad.)

I got out of the bus a few stops earlier, and I walked to Mani Bhavan. The sign below reads "Mani Bhavan junction." The "charkha" or cotton loom has long been associated with Gandhiji.

The entrance to Mani Bhavan.

Inside Mani Bhavan

I am fascinated with the story of Gandhiji and a large part of that is because Gandhiji grew up as a privileged upper-middle class child. He goes to school, eats meat (which his parents had forbidden him from eating) behind their back, has bad handwriting etc. He could be any one of us!!

Gandhiji (like many middle-class Indians) later goes abroad to study law. A chapter in his autobiography (The story of my experiments with truth) is filled with a hilarious recollection of the young student taking dancing lessons, learning French, and trying to play a musical instrument in an effort to become an "English dandy" and so fit into British society.

Once again, Gandhiji could be any one of us!Gandhiji then returns to India and after struggling with his law practise in India he goes to South Africa to practise. Gandhiji was in a the first class compartment of a train in South Africa when a white man asks him to vacate his seat. Gandhiji refuses, saying that he has a reserved seat in the bogey. The white man return with the ticket inspector who orders the guard to throw Gandhiji out of the train. Whoever heard of a brown man refusing to vacate his seat just because he bought a ticket? Such impudence must be punished with summary ejection from the train.

Gandhiji spent the night sleeping (and shivering) on the platform of a cold and remote train station. It was THIS incident that changed Gandhijis outlook on life and which eventually led to India's independence.

The museum had a puppet montage depicting the events in Gandhiji's life.

Gandhiji's letter to Hitler requesting to cease and desist

Gandhiji with a kid.

Gandhiji's room. Gandhiji used to spin his own cotton using a "charkha" in order to deprive the British of their revenue from cotton. He was astute enough to realize that the British were in India for the money, so to speak and that depriving them of revenue would hurt.

Gandhiji in court

I love this sign. India is unfortunately divided on religious and sectarian lines, and Gandhiji had it correct. We really are all one. One world. All of mankind

Gandhiji praying for peace after bloody religious riots

"Satyagraha" or the principle of peaceful non-violent resistant was Gandhiji's tool with which he secured India's independence.

On my way out I bought two books from the bookstore.

I am always inspired by persons such as Abraham Lincoln, Gandhiji, Martin Luther King, and Nelson Mandela. Seemingly ordinary -- and somewhat strange -- persons who fought for equality and left their imprint on the world.