Mahatma Gandhi - Quick facts

 

Mahatma Gandhi was born Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and the title 'Mahatma' was accorded to him much later.

Known as Father of Nation

He played a key role in winning freedom for India

He introduced the concept of Ahimsa and Satyagraha.

He had a set of false teeth, which he carried in a fold of his loin cloth.

Mahatma Gandhi spoke English with an Irish accent

Mahatma Gandhi got inspiration of Civil Disobedience by reading a book of an American

Mahatma Gandhi inspired millions of people world over to take the path of non-violence and civil disobedience.

In 1930 Gandhi led hundreds of followers on a 240-mile march to the sea, where they made salt from seawater in protest against the British salt law, which made it illegal to possess salt not bought from the government.

Time Magazine, the famous U.S. publication, named Mahatma Gandhi the Man of the Year in 1930.

Mahatma Gandhi experimented with diets to see how cheaply he could live and remain healthy. He started living principally on fruit and goats’ milk and olive oil.

Gandhi’s policy of Satyagraha, based largely on Hinduism, was influenced by many diverse sources, including Christ, Leo Tolstoy, and Henry David Thoreau.

On 30 January 1948, Gandhi was shot and killed on the grounds of the Birla Bhavan (Birla House) in New Delhi