Sabarmati Ashram

Gandhi's ashram on the river, starting point of the Salt March

The Sabarmati Ashram, on the western bank of the river two kilometres north of the centre, is where Mohandas Gandhi lived from 1917 to 1930. From here he ran his journals, organised the freedom movement, and developed the philosophy of satyagraha. His small whitewashed cottage, Hriday Kunj, is preserved with his spinning wheel and writing desk; an excellent museum next door displays original letters, photographs, and the few possessions he owned at his death.

The site is more atmospheric than its scale would suggest — a quiet riverside complex of low buildings, neem trees, and a meditation hall under a banyan. Entry is free and visits are best in early morning before the tour groups arrive. Plan an hour and a half at minimum.

things to do sight museum
A story
On 12 March 1930, Gandhi and 78 followers walked out of the ashram gates on the 240-mile **Salt March** to the sea at Dandi, where they broke the British salt monopoly by picking up a fistful from the shore. He vowed never to return until India was free. He never did — the ashram was closed by the British a few years later, and Gandhi was assassinated in 1948 before independence's birthday could call him home.