A collection of 688 handwritten reflections by Mahatma Gandhi, compiled from notes written between 1944 and 1946, sold for Rs 16.2 crore at a Mumbai auction, setting a record price for an Indian historical document.
An auction house in Mumbai sold a significant collection of Mahatma Gandhi's personal writings and memorabilia for Rs 16.2 crore, marking a record price for Indian historical documents. The centerpiece of the sale was 688 handwritten notes by Gandhi on themes including non-violence, truth, and self-restraint, composed during the final years of his life between 1944 and 1946. These reflections were later compiled and published as a book titled 'A Thought for the Day'.
The collection belonged to Anand T Hingorani, a freedom fighter who had been associated with Gandhi since his teenage years. Hingorani participated in Gandhi's famous 1930 Dandi March protesting the British salt tax and later worked at the Sabarmati Ashram while supporting the Civil Disobedience and Quit India movements. Following the death of Hingorani's wife, Vidya, Gandhi maintained correspondence with him for approximately two years, offering spiritual guidance.
Beyond the handwritten notes, the auction lot included letters, manuscripts, photographs, and personal objects accumulated by the Hingorani family over generations. Notable items included Gandhi's notes on God and the Bhagavad Gita, a portable spinning wheel known as a Peti Charkha, and a West End Watch. According to Saffronart, the auction house conducting the sale, these materials provide insight into how Gandhi practiced the principles he publicly advocated.
The Hingorani family described the auction as an opportunity to share their father's historical legacy and Gandhi's ideals with a global audience. The identity of the buyer has not been disclosed by Saffronart.
