The biography of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi born on 2 October 1869, he was the pre-eminent political and spiritual leader of India and the Indian independence movement.

He is commonly known around the world as Mahatma Gandhi or "Great Soul", an honorific first applied to him by Rabindranath Tagore, and in India also as Bapu or "Father". He is officially honored in India as the Father of the Nation; his birthday, 2 October, is commemorated there as Gandhi Jayanti, a national holiday, and worldwide as the International Day of Non-Violence. Gandhi was died on 30 January 1948.

Gandhi in his childhood

Gandhi in his teenage

Gandhi in Videshi outfit at 19 years of age

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi in South Africa in 1895

Young and handsome Gandhi

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi as Lawyer

Gandhi with his wife Kasturba after returning from South Africa

After a visit to a textile mill in Lancashire. September, 1931

Satyagraha Ashram at Kochrab, Ahmedabad, founded May 25, 1915

Dandi March, 1930

During the march through the fields of a Noakhali Village, December 1946

Gandhi on his daily walk, Wardha, 1934

A young boy leads Gandhiji for a walk

Discussing Lord Wavell's proposal with Maulana Azad

Gandhi alighting from S.S. Rajputana

Gandhi at Swaraj Bhavan, Allahabad, January 1931

Gandhi at work on the sundeck

Gandhi with Abbas Tyabji

Gandhi-Nehru on a happy mood

Gandhi with Sardar Patel

Gandhiji addressing the huge gatherings pertaining to Salt Satyagraha

Gandhiji with two women Manu and Abha

Gandhi's meeting with Jinnah

Tagore and Gandhi, February 1940

With Charlie Chaplin

with Lord and Lady Mountbatten

Gandhi's Autograph in 11 Indian languages

Gandhi's letter to Tagore, dated New Delhi, April 4, 1939

Gandhi was assassinated

Indian newspapers announce the death of Gandhi, January 31, 1948

Last Journey, Rajpath, New Delhi, January 31, 1948

Mahatma Gandhi is arguably, one of the most influential persons of the 20th century. Albert Einstein, very aptly put it, when he said: "Generations will scarce believe that such a one as this ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth." He was not just a political leader, but a social reformer and a spiritual teacher, too.

Incidents from the Mahatma's life and his well-documented experiments with truth serve as a great way of inculcating values in our children. He stressed that one should always live one's philosophies, beliefs and faith, and he was a prime example of that.