| Location: | 19 Laburnam Rd, Near Malabar Hill, Downtown Mumbai |
| Phone: | 022/2380-5864 |
| Hours: | Daily 10am-5:30pm |
| Cost: | Free, but donations appreciated |
The Mani Bhavan Gandhi Sangrahalaya is a quaint Gujarati-style house in Mumbai where Mahatma Gandhi lived from 1917 to 1934. The three-story home is now a Gandhi Museum that preserves the spirit of the man who put his nation before himself.
History
The house belonged to Shri Revashankar Jhaveri, Gandhi’s friend and host in Mumbai. Whenever he was in Mumbai between 1917 to 1934, Gandhi stayed here.
It was here in November 1921 that Gandhi conducted a four-day fast in order to restore peace to the city.
What to See
On the terrace, a bronze plaque marks the site of the tent in which Gandhi wasarrested in January 1932. He also used to sleep and say his prayers on this terrace.
Inside the house is a library of Gandhi-related works (about 50,000 books and periodicals), as well as displays of photographs, posters, slogans, and other items that document and explain Gandhi's legendary life.
Dioramas depicting major events and turning points in his fight for the nation's freedom draw particular attention to his devotion to the poor. An auditorium plays films on Gandhi.
You can also see Gandhi's old charkha (spinning wheel), which in many ways symbolized the struggle for independence, and which now appears on the Indian flag.
A visit to this tranquil house and neighborhood makes a welcome change from the noisy hubbub of modern life in Mumbai.