New Delhi: Mahatma Gandhi, widely known as the Father of the Nation, was born on October 2 in the year 1869, in Porbandar, which is now a part of Gujarat. This year marks his 154th birth anniversary. Gandhi Jayanti is observed annually across India to commemorate the birth anniversary, who made an immense contribution to India’s independence movement and his philosophies towards life.
October 2 is observed as a national holiday. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi also known as Mahatma Gandhi, Bapu or Father of the Nation dedicated his life to India’s struggle for freedom and advocated the path of truth and non-violence.
Here are some lesser-known facts about Mahatma Gandhi:
Time Magazine honour: In 1930, Mahatma Gandhi was honoured with the title of Time Magazine’s Man of the Year, becoming the first and only Indian to receive this distinction.
Irish accent: Gandhi spoke English with an Irish accent because one of his early teachers was an Irishman.
Nobel Peace Prize nominations: Despite being nominated five times for the Nobel Peace Prize, Gandhi never received the award.
Title ‘Mahatma’: The title ‘Mahatma’ was given to Gandhi by the great Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore.
Shared birthday: Mahatma Gandhi shares his birthday with Lal Bahadur Shastri, who was born in 1904.
Funeral procession: Gandhi’s funeral procession stretched 8 kilometres.
Roads named after Gandhi: There are 48 roads outside India and 53 roads within the country named after Mahatma Gandhi.
Henry Ford’s admiration: Henry Ford, the founder of Ford Motor Company, was a devoted admirer and follower of Mahatma Gandhi.
