Rajghat

Rajghat is a national shrine where the father of the nation Mahatama Gandhi was cremated on 31 January 1948 following his assassination. Situated on the banks of the River Yamuna, it's a very quiet and peaceful place to visit in Delhi. 4 kms away from Janpath, Rajghat is near to Feroz Shah and Delhi Gate on the Ring Road (Mahatma Gandhi Road). Innumerable visitors including political leaders pay their homage to Mahatma Gandhi. Nowadays, it is customary for foreign dignitaries visiting India to pay homage to Gandhi here, by laying flowers / wreaths on the platform. Designed by Vanu G. Bhuta, it has won several awards for its architectural design. The memorial is a black marble platform with a black memorial stone. It is situated amidst a well maintained garden with fountains and numerous striking trees that give the area a serene atmosphere.

Near the memorial, there are labelled trees planted by visiting dignitaries such as Queen Elizabeth II, Ho Chi Minh, the former Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitman and the former US president Dwight Eisenhower. 

Around the sides of the garden are quotes and thoughts written by Gandhi, engraved in a variety of languages including Tamil, Malayalam, Nepali, Urdu, Spanish, Arabic, and Chinese. A stone footpath leads to the walled enclosure that houses the memorial. One must remove shoes before proceed into the ground of the memorial. There is a small cabin where shoes can leave. For this, one have to pay Rs.10/-.

An eternal flame burns in a glass case and Gandhi's last words 'He Ram' are inscribed on the memorial. Every Friday, a commemorating ceremony takes place here. Prayer sessions are held at the Raj Ghat on Gandhi's birth (2nd October) and death anniversaries (30th January) .To the north of the Rajghat is the cremation site of Jawaharlal Nehru's known as the Shantivan or Shanti Vana. Near to this are the cremation sites of Indira Gandhi, who was killed in 1984 and her two sons Sanjay (1980) and Rajiv (1991).

Opposite to Raj Ghat is the Gandhi National Museum which contains some of Gandhi's belongings. Also called as National Gandhi Museum and Gandhi Memorial Museum, it houses  photographs, books, documents, exhibitions, paintings, journals etc closes connected with Mahatma Gandhi. Also it houses the history of the Satyagraha movement, the philosophy of 'ahimsa' (non-violence), the clothes Gandhiji which he was wearing at the time of his assassination and a pair of wooden sandal. Gandhi Museum contains sections, such as pictorial gallery, an information centre and a library. The Museum organizes exhibitions, meetings, seminars etc.

Open: April-September: 5.00 am-7.30 pm; October-March: 5.30 am-7.00 pm; Admission is free. Ph: 91- 011- 23311793, 23310168, 23328310; E-mail : gandhimk@bol.net.in / mkgandhingm@rediffmail.com.