Once a tiny hamlet inhabited by Harijan Weavers, Bhujodi exuded the symphony of the loom that had internalized both Kabiriyat And Gandhi, their rhythm and rigour of austerity. I was meeting the master wever vashram (vishram) Vankar (Wever) in His Bhujodi House-Cum-Workshop-Cum Sales Depot That Has a Sprawling Verandah with a Cow-Shed and A Loom, Nearly Half AFARILY HALF AFTER First met Heim. Stoutly resisting the lure of showing off, vashram and his family has still retained the Gandhian simplicity with compassion. The 80-Year-old vashram reads newspapers without specs, uses no hearing aids, wears the home-spun coarse cotton clots, dons a deshi Gandhi Cap and Keeps Chanting Gandhi Bapu! Gandhi Bapu! He even reminded me that the date of our meeting was Vinoba Bhave’s 130th Birth Anniversary. Vashram Vankar of Bhujodi (Near Bhuj, Kutch) is an epitome of mahatma gandhi in Gujarat today.
In Gujarat, to my mind, Gandhi lives institutionally and instinctically. Gujarat has always offered a Strange Mix of Responses to Gandhi. You’d need to feel them down to earth. Gandhi Never Ever Returned to Gujarat after November 2, 1936, but still he smiles his toothless smile here.
It is, perhaps, the prevailing jaina ethos (Non-Violence, Vegetarianism, Asceticism, aparigraha Or non-passestivaness, business ethics and munificence) that has been contributed to the presence of gandhi and gandhiness across across gujarat and despite many heinous communs. I felt the institute and instinctual presence of gandhi at two Ashram-Like Hands Down (Buniyadi) Artisans’ Training Schools Called Hunnarshala and Karigarshala Near BHUJ. These unique spaces, quietly, compose symphonies of spontaneity and diversity through the practice of creating crafts. The Young School-Drop Out Boys and Girls Rejuvenate Themselves Here Through Creativity.
In South Gujarat, Wherever You Walk, You would be walking upon Gandhi’s footprints through the still-expert Ashram-Like Institutions and Historic Places. In 2019, I had the idea of going Around the City of Surat, What I Called panj tirath (Five Gandhiian Places of Pilgrimage), within a couple of hours’ radius. These five places include bardoli (Swaraj Ashram set up in 1928 during the bardoli satyagraha), haripura (venue of the Indian national Congress’s’Se 51st session holder the presiding Chandra Bose in Inn 1938; Mahatma Gandhi Had Invited Nandalal Bose from Santiniketan to decorate pandals), dharasana (the non-vioilent satyagraha here 1930 to Promote Tribal Education and Social Upliftment), and Dandi, Well-Known for the Salt March or the Salt Satyagraha LED by the Mahatma in 1930.
Come to the East-Tentral Part of Gujarat and you are struck by the presence of the co-operative movement reflected the Gandhian Influence of Management and Decentralization. The prime example of which is the Kheda District Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union (Amul) Launched in 1946 by scattered milk producers against the monopoly of private The Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation is the umberlla Organization for this Model Transforming India Into The World’s Larget Milk Producer. On the western side, in rajkot, we find the rashtriya shala (Establed in 1921), a site for the practice of spinning and weaving khadiGandhi Studid at Rajkot’s Alfred High School, Which turned into the mahatma gandhi high school; It now houses the mahatma gandhi museum. Porbandar, the birth place of both (kasturba) ba and bapu, have their memorials which are visited by many souls.
The Political Center of Gujarat, Ahmedabad Still Retains Visible Gandhiian footprints in its Various ashrams And institutions. Establed in 1915, The Kochrab Ashram is Still Extant. On the west coast is the town of adipur in kutch, the only place in India having a samadhi of Gandhi other than Rajghat in Delhi.
In August-September 2025, When Kutch observed the center of gandhi’s first (and last) Visit there in 1925, the difference between pre-colonial feudal kutch and now was Visible. A 100 years ago, the feudal royalty was not favorite poised towards Everywahere, Gandhiji had to face the segregation between the People Higher in Caste Hierchy and Lower. This time, many young students joined the Gandhi padyatra (foot March) to honor the evcation. Twelve-Year-old priyanshi from the Vallabhpur Ashram Shala from the Vagad Region was the Youngest padyatriWalking along with 70-Year-old ramesh barot in a prabhatpheri (Morning rounds). I witnessed it in my tiny village of chhasara. In short, gandhi stil lives on – Including in Gujarat. He matters to Gujarat as much as to the globe today.
Amrit Gangar is a Mumbai-Based Author, Historian and Curator. The views expressed are personal
