20 facts about Bapu.....
1. When Gandhiji was boarding a train, one of his shoes slipped and fell on the track. Bapu,
immediately removed the other one, too and threw it near the first. His intention was clear, the
person who found the shoes could use them.
2. In 1931, Bapu made his first radio broadcasting for the USA. Do you know what his first words
were? "Do I have to speak into this thing?"
3. We all know how prestigious is the Time Magazine's "Man of the Year" or "Person of the Year".
But do you know that Mahatma Gandhi is the only Indian, till today, to become the 'Person of the
Year' for his actions during the Salt Satyagraha or Dandi March in 1930?
4. Gandhiji commanded 21 Indian volunteers, as stretcher bearers, to treat wounded British soldiers
in Bambatha Uprising (Zulu revolt or war against British rule in South Africa) in 1906.
5. Mahatma Gandhi's autobiography, "My Autobiography of My Experiments with Truth"
in 1927 was declared as one of '100 most spiritual books of the 20th century' in 1999 by Harper
Collins Publications LLC.
6. In 1948, Mahatma Gandhi was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Due to his assassination,
the Nobel Committee decided not to award the peace prize for that year, stating that "there was no
suitable living candidate".
7. Mahatma Gandhi was chosen as the second runner up for the Time Magazine's 'Person of the
Century' in 1999. However, Albert Einstein was chosen for the title as 20th century was dominated
by science and technology; besides he served as a symbol of all scientists.
8. Gandhiji spoke English with an Irish accent because one of his first teachers was an Irishman.
9. In South Africa, Gandhiji's income was $15,000 at that time which is a dream to most of us
today.
10. Henry Ford, the founder of Ford Motor Company, was one of Gandhiji's followers in the USA.
He used to spin the 'charkha' which was sent by Gandhiji through a journalist emissary.
11. Gandhiji wrote his autobiography in Gujarati. Shri Mahadev Desai, who was a personal assistant
to Gandhiji, translated it.
12. Do you know Friday is mostly associated with Gandhiji's life? India got independence on Friday.
Bapu was born and assassinated on Friday.
13. When Gandhiji went to Santhiniketan he greeted Rabindranath Tagore as 'Namaste Gurudev'.
Tagore replied spontaneously, 'If I'm Gurudev, you're Mahatma' which later became the prefix
to his name.
14. We all know that Gandhiji had given up dressing in full due to the poor plight of the Indians.
Do you know when and where he decided that? While touring Madurai in 1921, he noticed
many people wearing single dhoti which later became his attire.
15. While the country was celebrating independence on 15 Aug 1947, Gandhiji was on fast to
condemn the partition of India and Pakistan besides communal riots.
16. Gandhiji used to worry about two things. His bad hand writing and body massaging.
17. Subhas Chandra Bose called Gandhiji as 'Desapitha' (Father of the Nation) on Singapore radio
in 1944. Thereafter, Sarojini Naidu, too, referred to the same title in the 1947 Congress
conference. The name was very popular across the country, though the Indian government never conferred any such title, officially, to Gandhiji.
18. Gandhiji hated taking photographs. Interestingly, he was the most photographed person during
that period.
19. Did you know that the Caisson used for Gandhiji's funeral in 1948 was again used in 1997 for
Mother Teresa's funeral?
20. We think you're all familiar with the smiling Gandhiji's image on the currency. Most of us
assume the image was drawn/painted. But the fact is that it was an original photo taken by an
anonymous photographer, in 1946, at the former Viceroy's house which is now home to the
President of India, the Rashtrapathi Bhavan. The image was developed into the mirror image and
printed on all currency notes.
Tailpiece.
A quiet day. The heat is getting to be unbearable. Lekha has begun to cough. Has my quarantining myself all this while, been in vain?
1. When Gandhiji was boarding a train, one of his shoes slipped and fell on the track. Bapu,
immediately removed the other one, too and threw it near the first. His intention was clear, the
person who found the shoes could use them.
2. In 1931, Bapu made his first radio broadcasting for the USA. Do you know what his first words
were? "Do I have to speak into this thing?"
3. We all know how prestigious is the Time Magazine's "Man of the Year" or "Person of the Year".
But do you know that Mahatma Gandhi is the only Indian, till today, to become the 'Person of the
Year' for his actions during the Salt Satyagraha or Dandi March in 1930?
4. Gandhiji commanded 21 Indian volunteers, as stretcher bearers, to treat wounded British soldiers
in Bambatha Uprising (Zulu revolt or war against British rule in South Africa) in 1906.
5. Mahatma Gandhi's autobiography, "My Autobiography of My Experiments with Truth"
in 1927 was declared as one of '100 most spiritual books of the 20th century' in 1999 by Harper
Collins Publications LLC.
6. In 1948, Mahatma Gandhi was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Due to his assassination,
the Nobel Committee decided not to award the peace prize for that year, stating that "there was no
suitable living candidate".
7. Mahatma Gandhi was chosen as the second runner up for the Time Magazine's 'Person of the
Century' in 1999. However, Albert Einstein was chosen for the title as 20th century was dominated
by science and technology; besides he served as a symbol of all scientists.
8. Gandhiji spoke English with an Irish accent because one of his first teachers was an Irishman.
9. In South Africa, Gandhiji's income was $15,000 at that time which is a dream to most of us
today.
10. Henry Ford, the founder of Ford Motor Company, was one of Gandhiji's followers in the USA.
He used to spin the 'charkha' which was sent by Gandhiji through a journalist emissary.
11. Gandhiji wrote his autobiography in Gujarati. Shri Mahadev Desai, who was a personal assistant
to Gandhiji, translated it.
12. Do you know Friday is mostly associated with Gandhiji's life? India got independence on Friday.
Bapu was born and assassinated on Friday.
13. When Gandhiji went to Santhiniketan he greeted Rabindranath Tagore as 'Namaste Gurudev'.
Tagore replied spontaneously, 'If I'm Gurudev, you're Mahatma' which later became the prefix
to his name.
14. We all know that Gandhiji had given up dressing in full due to the poor plight of the Indians.
Do you know when and where he decided that? While touring Madurai in 1921, he noticed
many people wearing single dhoti which later became his attire.
15. While the country was celebrating independence on 15 Aug 1947, Gandhiji was on fast to
condemn the partition of India and Pakistan besides communal riots.
16. Gandhiji used to worry about two things. His bad hand writing and body massaging.
17. Subhas Chandra Bose called Gandhiji as 'Desapitha' (Father of the Nation) on Singapore radio
in 1944. Thereafter, Sarojini Naidu, too, referred to the same title in the 1947 Congress
conference. The name was very popular across the country, though the Indian government never conferred any such title, officially, to Gandhiji.
18. Gandhiji hated taking photographs. Interestingly, he was the most photographed person during
that period.
19. Did you know that the Caisson used for Gandhiji's funeral in 1948 was again used in 1997 for
Mother Teresa's funeral?
20. We think you're all familiar with the smiling Gandhiji's image on the currency. Most of us
assume the image was drawn/painted. But the fact is that it was an original photo taken by an
anonymous photographer, in 1946, at the former Viceroy's house which is now home to the
President of India, the Rashtrapathi Bhavan. The image was developed into the mirror image and
printed on all currency notes.
Tailpiece.
A quiet day. The heat is getting to be unbearable. Lekha has begun to cough. Has my quarantining myself all this while, been in vain?
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