Kirti Mandir, Porbandar: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 11:52, 24 June 2022

21°38′28″N 69°36′2″E / 21.64111°N 69.60056°E / 21.64111; 69.60056

Birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi, Porbandar.

Kirti Mandir is a small museum at the birthplace of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi in the city of Porbandar, Gujarat, India, memorializing him and his wife, Kasturba Gandhi.^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4]

The museum displays items used by Gandhi, life size paintings of Kasturba and Gandhiji by Shri Yutt along with some old photographs, and houses a library of books either written by Gandhi or relating to his philosophies. Visitors can also enter Gandhi's ancestral home through the museum. It has been visited by world leaders.^{[citation needed]}

Background[edit | edit source]

The ancestral house of the Gandhi family, where Mahatma Gandhi was born on 2 October 1869 is just adjacent to the Kirti Mandir.^[1]^[3] When Gandhi was released for the last time in the year 1944 from the Aga Khan Palace by the British Government, the residential public of Porbandar had decided to construct a memorial on his birth place,^[1] which was purchased from the members of the Gandhi family who were living in it. Gandhi had given his written consent in writing, signing the registration papers which are now displayed in Kirti Mandir Complex.^[1] The ancestral house now forms a part of the Kirti Mandir complex.

History[edit | edit source]

The original three-storied house is built like a Haveli, purchased by Gandhi's great grandfather Harjivan Raidas Gandhi in the seventeenth century. The upper stories were added over the years.^[1] Gandhi's father Karamchand, uncle, Tulsidas and grandfather Uttamchand lived, who had all been Prime Ministers (Dewan) to the Jethwa Rajput rulers of the princely state of Porbandar, lived there.^[5]

The foundation stone was Kirti Mandir was laid in 1947 during Gandhi's lifetime by Darbar Gopaldas Desai. The money to purchase the house and build the museum was donated by Nanjibahi Kalidas Mehta.^[1]^[2]

The memorial was completed in 1950, by which time Gandhi was dead. Home Minister, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel inaugurated it on 27 May 1950 and it was given to the Indian government.

It is 79 feet tall, representing the 79 years of Gandhi's life, and includes architectural elements of Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, and Parsi temples, as well as of churches and mosques.^[1]

The architect was Prushottambhai Mistry, a resident of Porbandar.^[1]^[2]

Memorial[edit | edit source]

There are life-size oil paintings of Mahatma and Kasturba Gandhi side by side in the centre of Kirti Mandir. Because Gandhi did not want to be deified, floral garlands are not used. The words, ‘The Truth’ and ‘Non-violence’, symbolizing his life and preachings, are placed near their feet.^[1]

On the right side there are two rooms as the memorials of Maganlal Gandhi and Mahadev Desai, and the room on the left-hand side is meant for the exhibition of the museum. These three rooms contain articles of khadibhandar, things of handicraft, the centre is for the sale of books, the office-room, and the reception hall. Kasturba-Mahila Library is situated in the Kirti Mandir.^[1]

The Kirti Mandir is the main tourist attraction of the town. Foreign dignitaries and Indian politicians visit Kirti Mandir. The place where Gandhi was born is marked with a swastika for identification.^[1]^[3]

Gallery[edit | edit source]

Gandhii's house December 2012
Study room of Gandhi

References[edit | edit source]

↑ ^1.00 ^1.01 ^1.02 ^1.03 ^1.04 ^1.05 ^1.06 ^1.07 ^1.08 ^1.09 ^1.10 "Kirti Mandir,History, Porbandar". Archived from the original on 3 January 2015. Retrieved 14 June 2011.
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 Kirthi Mandir, the birth-place of the father of our nation, Mahatma Gandhi, is the main centre of attraction for the tourists. It was built by Shri Nanji Kalidas and Shri Purushottam Mistry.
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 ^3.2 Kirti Mandir, Porbandar, Gujarat
↑ Kirti Mandir, Porbandar
↑ "Kirti Mandir". Archived from the original on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 14 June 2011.

[a-1] 1.00 ^1.01 ^1.02 ^1.03 ^1.04 ^1.05 ^1.06 ^1.07 ^1.08 ^1.09 ^1.10 "Kirti Mandir,History, Porbandar". Archived from the original on 3 January 2015. Retrieved 14 June 2011.

[b-2] 2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 Kirthi Mandir, the birth-place of the father of our nation, Mahatma Gandhi, is the main centre of attraction for the tourists. It was built by Shri Nanji Kalidas and Shri Purushottam Mistry.

[c-3] 3.0 ^3.1 ^3.2 Kirti Mandir, Porbandar, Gujarat

[4] Kirti Mandir, Porbandar

[5] "Kirti Mandir". Archived from the original on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 14 June 2011.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 {{coord|21|38|28|N|69|36|2|E|region:IN_type:landmark|display=title}}
 [[File:Birth place of Mahatma Gandhi.jpg|thumb|250px|Birthplace of [[Mahatma Gandhi]], [[Porbandar]].]]
-'''Kirti Mandir''' is the memorial house kept in memory of [[Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi]] and [[Kasturba Gandhi]] located in city of [[Porbandar]], [[Gujarat]], [[India]].<ref name=a>{{Cite web |url=http://www.kirtimandir.org/aboutkirtimandir.html |title=Kirti Mandir,History, Porbandar |access-date=14 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150103163201/http://www.kirtimandir.org/aboutkirtimandir.html |archive-date=3 January 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name=b/><ref name=c>[http://www.holidayiq.com/Kirti-Mandir-Porbandar-Sightseeing-739-884.html Kirti Mandir, Porbandar, Gujarat]</ref><ref>[http://www.porbandaronline.com/places/kirtimandir.php Kirti Mandir, Porbandar]</ref>
+'''Kirti Mandir''' is a small museum at the birthplace of [[Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi]] in the city of [[Porbandar]], [[Gujarat]], India, memorializing him and his wife, [[Kasturba Gandhi]].<ref name=a>{{Cite web |url=http://www.kirtimandir.org/aboutkirtimandir.html |title=Kirti Mandir,History, Porbandar |access-date=14 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150103163201/http://www.kirtimandir.org/aboutkirtimandir.html |archive-date=3 January 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name=b/><ref name=c>[http://www.holidayiq.com/Kirti-Mandir-Porbandar-Sightseeing-739-884.html Kirti Mandir, Porbandar, Gujarat]</ref><ref>[http://www.porbandaronline.com/places/kirtimandir.php Kirti Mandir, Porbandar]</ref>
-Kirti Mandir has now been converted into a small museum that displays items used by Gandhiji, along with some really old photographs. The museum houses a library that has books either written by Gandhiji or relating to his philosophies. Visitors can also enter the ancestral house of Gandhiji through the museum. As you enter the house, you will come across the big paintings of Gandhiji and his wife Kasturba, some of which include the rare black and white pictures of the two sharing lighter moments. It has been visited by a number of world leaders who still come here to pay their respects.{{cn|date=September 2020}}
+The museum displays items used by Gandhi, life size paintings of Kasturba and Gandhiji by Shri Yutt along with some old photographs, and houses a library of books either written by Gandhi or relating to his philosophies. Visitors can also enter Gandhi's ancestral home through the museum. It has been visited by world leaders.{{cn|date=September 2020}}
 ==Background==
-The ancestral house of the Gandhi family, where Mahatma Gandhi was born on 2 October 1869 is just adjacent to the Kirti Mandir.<ref name=a/><ref name=c/> At the time when Gandhi was released for the last time in the year 1944 from the [[Aga Khan Palace]] by the British Government, the residential public of Porbandar had decided to construct an ideal memorial on the birth palace of Mahatmaji.<ref name=a/>  At that time, organization of the project was accomplished by the intensive efforts of the erstwhile Maharaja of Porbandar, [[Natwarsinhji Bhavsinhji|H.H. Maharana Shri Natavarsinhji]], and ''[[Raj Ratna]]'' [[Nanji Kalidas Mehta|Shri Nanjibhai Kalidas Mehta]] and his wife, Smt. Santokbehn Mehta.<ref name=a/> Before the foundation of the Kirti Mandir was started, the adjacent ancestral house was purchased from those members of the Gandhian family who were living in it.  Mahatmaji himself, on his own part, had given his consent to Nanjibhai in writing, with legal documents for the sale of the whole building.  He had signed with his own hand the registration papers, which are displayed at a museum room in Kirti Mandir Complex.<ref name=a/> The ancestral house, as such, now forms a part of the Kirti Mandir complex.
+The ancestral house of the Gandhi family, where Mahatma Gandhi was born on 2 October 1869 is just adjacent to the Kirti Mandir.<ref name=a/><ref name=c/> When Gandhi was released for the last time in the year 1944 from the [[Aga Khan Palace]] by the British Government, the residential public of Porbandar had decided to construct a memorial on his birth place,<ref name=a/> which was purchased from the members of the Gandhi family who were living in it. Gandhi had given his written consent in writing, signing the registration papers which are now displayed in Kirti Mandir Complex.<ref name=a/> The ancestral house now forms a part of the Kirti Mandir complex.
 ==History==
-The original three-storied house is built like a [[Haveli]], purchased by the great grandfather of Mahatmaji, Shri Harjivan Raidas Gandhi, some two hundred years before, in the seventeenth century, from a local woman and the upper stories were added over the years.<ref name=a/> It was this house where Gandhi's father Karamchand, uncle, Tulsidas and grandfather Uttamchand lived, who had all been Prime Ministers ([[Dewan]]) to the [[Jethwa]] [[Rajput]] rulers of the [[Porbandar State|princely state of Porbandar]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.gujarattourism.com/showpage.aspx?contentid=1277&webpartid=1650 |title=Kirti Mandir |access-date=14 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928051924/http://www.gujarattourism.com/showpage.aspx?contentid=1277&webpartid=1650 |archive-date=28 September 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
+The original three-storied house is built like a [[Haveli]], purchased by Gandhi's great grandfather Harjivan Raidas Gandhi in the seventeenth century. The upper stories were added over the years.<ref name=a/> Gandhi's father Karamchand, uncle, Tulsidas and grandfather Uttamchand lived, who had all been Prime Ministers ([[Dewan]]) to the [[Jethwa]] [[Rajput]] rulers of the [[Porbandar State|princely state of Porbandar]], lived there.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.gujarattourism.com/showpage.aspx?contentid=1277&webpartid=1650 |title=Kirti Mandir |access-date=14 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928051924/http://www.gujarattourism.com/showpage.aspx?contentid=1277&webpartid=1650 |archive-date=28 September 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
 [[File: Kirti Mandir4.JPG|thumb|right|Inside view of Kirti Mandir]]
-The foundation stone of modern structure and attractive Kirti Mandir was laid in 1947 during the lifetime of Gandhi by Shree [[Darbar Gopaldas Desai]]. The whole credit of constructing this national memorial of Mahatma Gandhi goes to the famous industrialist, [[Nanji Kalidas Mehta|Nanjibahi Kalidas Mehta]], who not only initiated the idea to build a memorial but also donated the whole money to purchase the ancestral house and also to build a new complex called Kirti Mandir.<ref name=a/><ref name=b>[http://www.porbandaronline.com/cityguide/kirtimandir.htm Kirthi Mandir, the birth-place of the father of our nation, Mahatma Gandhi, is the main centre of attraction for the tourists. It was built by Shri Nanji Kalidas and Shri Purushottam Mistry.]</ref>
+The foundation stone was Kirti Mandir was laid in 1947 during Gandhi's lifetime by [[Darbar Gopaldas Desai]]. The money to purchase the house and build the museum was donated by [[Nanji Kalidas Mehta|Nanjibahi Kalidas Mehta]].<ref name=a/><ref name=b>[http://www.porbandaronline.com/cityguide/kirtimandir.htm Kirthi Mandir, the birth-place of the father of our nation, Mahatma Gandhi, is the main centre of attraction for the tourists. It was built by Shri Nanji Kalidas and Shri Purushottam Mistry.]</ref>
-The memorial was completed in 1950, by which time Gandhi was no more. The memorial was named ''Kirti Mandir'' and then Home Minister, [[Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel]] inaugurated and declared an open place for the public on 27 May 1950. Afterward, this beautiful memorial was handed over to the Central Government of India.<ref name=a/><ref name=c/>
+The memorial was completed in 1950, by which time Gandhi was dead. Home Minister, [[Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel]] inaugurated it on 27 May 1950 and it was given to the Indian government.
-The height of the temple is of 79 feet symbolizes the 79 years of lifespan of Gandhi. The monument Kirti Mandir is symbol of religious integration of six religions, the architectural elements of  [[Hindu]], [[Buddhist]], [[Jain]], [[Parsi]] temple, [[church (building)|Church]] and [[Mosque]] are symbolized at Kirti Mandir integrate, which symbolize Gandhi's respect towards all religion.<ref name=a/>
+It is 79 feet tall, representing the 79 years of Gandhi's life, and includes architectural elements of Hindu, Buddhist, [[Jain]], and [[Parsi]] temples, as well as of churches and mosques.<ref name=a/>
-The whole architecture of the Kirti Mandir was done by Shri Prushottambhai Mistry, a resident of  Porbandar.<ref name=a/><ref name=b/>  He completed construction within two years of time limit by working for days and night himself.<ref name=a/>
+The architect was Prushottambhai Mistry, a resident of Porbandar.<ref name=a/><ref name=b/>
 ==Memorial==
-There are life-size oil paintings of Mahatma Gandhi and Kasturba kept side by side in the centre of Kirti Mandir. Gandhi wanted that he should not be made a God and so, keeping his wishes, floral garlands are not used. The auspicious words, ‘The Truth’ and ‘Non-violence’, symbolizing his life and preachings are placed near their feet.<ref name=a/>
+There are life-size oil paintings of Mahatma and Kasturba Gandhi side by side in the centre of Kirti Mandir. Because Gandhi did not want to be deified, floral garlands are not used. The words, ‘The Truth’ and ‘Non-violence’, symbolizing his life and preachings, are placed near their feet.<ref name=a/>
-On the right side there are two rooms as the memorials of [[Maganlal Gandhi]] and [[Mahadev Desai]], and the room on the left-hand side is meant for the exhibition of the museum.  These three rooms contain articles of khadibhandar, things of handicraft, the centre is for the sale of books, the office-room, and the reception hall. Kasturba-Mahila Library is situated in the Kirti mandir.<ref name=a/>
+On the right side there are two rooms as the memorials of [[Maganlal Gandhi]] and [[Mahadev Desai]], and the room on the left-hand side is meant for the exhibition of the museum. These three rooms contain articles of khadibhandar, things of handicraft, the centre is for the sale of books, the office-room, and the reception hall. Kasturba-Mahila Library is situated in the Kirti Mandir.<ref name=a/>
-The Kirti Mandir is the main tourist attraction of the town. As well, many foreign dignitaries and Indian politicians visit Kirti Mandir, which houses the ancestral house and birthplace of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. The place where Gandhi was born is marked with a [[Swastika]] for identification.<ref name=a/><ref name=c/>
+The Kirti Mandir is the main tourist attraction of the town. Foreign dignitaries and Indian politicians visit Kirti Mandir. The place where Gandhi was born is marked with a [[swastika]] for identification.<ref name=a/><ref name=c/>
 ==Gallery==
@@ Line 33: / Line 33: @@
 Image:Kirti Mandir Gallery.jpg
 Image:Study room of Gandhi.jpg|Study room of Gandhi
+File:The main memorial near the house.jpg
 </gallery>
@@ Line 41: / Line 42: @@
 [[Category:Memorials to Mahatma Gandhi]]
-[[Category:Monuments and memorials in Gujarat]]
 [[Category:Porbandar]]
 [[Category:Museums in Gujarat]]