Mahatma Gandhi Statue

The Mahatma Gandhi statue is a 16-foot (4.9 m) tall bronze statue of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi located in the vicinity of the Parliament of India in New Delhi. Designed by Ram Suta, it was inaugurated in 1993 and has become iconic as a site for protests by members of the Indian Parliament. In July 2014, the Chancellor of the Exchequer of the United Kingdom, George Osborne, announced during a visit to India that a statue of Mahatma Gandhi would be installed in Parliament Square in Westminster. He hoped that this new memorial will be a lasting and fitting tribute to his memory in Britain and a lasting monument to our friendship with India. At the same time, it was announced that sculptor Philip Jackson had been asked to create the statue. He previously designed the statue of the Queen Mother, the RAF Bomber Command Memorial, and the statue of Bobby Moore. Planning permission was granted by Westminster City Council in November of that year.

Attraction

Mahatma Gandhi Statue This tasteful, elegant statue of Mahatma Gandhi stands in a small triangular park bounded by 21st St, Q St, and Massachusetts Ave. A short walk from Dupont Circle. The statue appears to be slightly larger than life size and is surrounded by a number of plaques describing Gandhi’s incredible achievements and providing some of his quotes. If you’re in the Dupont Circle area, it’s worth the short walk to see it. The statue is a tribute to Gandhi’s work and inspirational way of fighting. It is located in a small park in front of the Indian Embassy (Chancery). This is one of the many statues of world heroes in the Embassy Row area. A nice statue with some information about Gandhi. It’s worth a visit if you’re in the area for other attractions or dining in the Dupont Circle area.

History

Mahatma Gandhi Statue The initial proposal to erect a statue of Gandhi in New Delhi’s Central Vista was made in 1968 after the removal of the statue of King George V from the canopies behind India Gate. In 1969, Parliament announced that the statue would be installed near India Gate at government expense. In 1978, the Morarji Desai-led government invited proposals for a statue. Twelve entries were received from sculptors across India, from which the Rama Sutra design was selected. In 1981, it was decided to go ahead with a design of Gandhi in a meditation pose to be placed on the canopy near India Gate. However, these proposals were not implemented due to aesthetics and opposition from architects and heritage preservationists regarding the proposal to remove the canopy to prepare a pedestal for the proposed statue. The plaster casting for the statue was completed by 1989. The statue was completed by 1993 but MPs objected to the proposal to place it under the canopy. The issue was raised in Parliament by George Fernandes who accused the government of putting Gandhi “in the middle of the road”. The statue was subsequently donated to Parliament by the Ministry of Urban Development and unveiled by President Shankar Dayal Sharma on Gandhi Jayanti in 1993. The statue was in the workshop before being installed in Parliament Square. Funding for the statue was through public donations and sponsorships. It was supported by the work of the Gandhi Murthy Memorial Trust, founded by Meghnad Desai, and Baron Desai, as well as a special advisory panel created by the government. It was presided over by Sajid Javid MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Media, and Sport. £100,000 had been raised by the trust at the time of that planning permission, but a further £500,000 was needed and they wanted to raise it by January 2015 to coincide with Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s planned visit to London. India. The statue was unveiled by Indian Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on 14 March 2015. It was dedicated to commemorating the centenary of Gandhi’s return to India from South Africa, which is generally regarded as the beginning of his struggle for Indian independence. Speakers at the unveiling of the statue included UK Prime Minister David Cameron, Indian film actor Amitabh Bachchan and Gandhi’s grandson Gopalkrishna Gandhi. In June 2020, during the George Floyd protests, protesters vandalized the statue, along with a statue of Winston Churchill. Someone painted the word “racist” on Gandhi’s statue.

Inside/Outside Views

A pleasant find while walking Embassy Row. The statue is in a small park area in front of the Indian Embassy. It shows Gandhi lightly wrapped in his famous sandals and his walking stick. It is a fitting tribute to a man who has done such a great thing through non-violence. Encountering Gandhi in the middle of the suburbs is a reflective moment.

How to Reach

By Air: Chennai International Airport is the nearest airport. It is 135 km away. Chennai is well connected to many cities in India some of them are Delhi, Mumbai, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Pune, Hyderabad, etc. One can hire a taxi from the airport to reach Mahatma Gandhi Statue.

By Rail: Villupuram, Central Railway It, 35 km. Villupuram is with Tiruchirappalli, Madurai, and Chennai by State Railway. The hospital is available from Villupuram to Puducherry. One can hire a taxi from the airport to reach Mahatma Gandhi Statue.

By Road: Pondicherry is best accessible by road, bus, or taxi. Private tourist buses from Chennai, Madurai, and Bangalore ply to Pondicherry. Buses connect Pondicherry with Thanjavur, Trichy, Chidambaram, and Coimbatore. There are frequent buses from Koyambedu in Chennai about every 15 minutes. One can hire taxis from the bus stand to reach his desired place.

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