Sabarmati Ashram

What it is

Sabarmati Ashram is a residential community on the banks of the Sabarmati River in Ahmedabad, India, established in 1915. Mahatma Gandhi lived here with his wife Kasturba Gandhi and his followers, including Vinoba Bhave, for a total period before shifting to another ashram. His cottage, Hriday Kunj, still preserves his personal belongings.

Why it matters

From this ashram Gandhi ran a school focused on manual labour and literacy, and from here he set out on the Dandi March in 1930 to protest the British salt tax, an act of civil disobedience that inspired hundreds of thousands across India and led to mass arrests. The ashram was later seized by the government and, after Gandhi vowed not to return until independence was won, became a preserved national monument and museum.

Look closer

• Why might Gandhi have chosen to build a school focused on manual labour at his home?
• What does the ashram's transformation into a museum tell us about how Gandhi is remembered today?
• Why do you think the building looks so simple, compared to how important Gandhi became?