PM inaugurates Kochrab Ashram in Sabarmati

Gujarat:12/3/24: The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi visited Sabarmati Ashram and inaugurated Kochrab Ashram and launched the Master plan of Gandhi Ashram Memorial today. The Prime Minister paid floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi’s statue and visited Hriday Kunj. He also took a walkthrough of the exhibition and planted a sapling.

Addressing the occasion, the Prime Minister said that the Sabarmati Ashram has always been a vibrant center of incomparable energy and we feel the inspiration of Bapu in ourselves. “Sabarmati Ashram has kept alive Bapu’s values of truth and nonviolence, rashtra seva, and seeing God’s service in the service of the deprived”, he added. The Prime Minister recounted Gandhi Ji’s time in the Kochrab Ashram where Gandhiji stayed before shifting to Sabarmati. The redeveloped Kocharab Ashram was dedicated to the nation today. The Prime Minister paid tributes to pujya Mahatma Gandhi and congratulated the citizens for the significant and inspirational projects of today.

The Prime Minister acknowledged the cooperation of the Ashram dwellers in getting back the 55-acre land of the Ashram. He stated the intention of preserving all the buildings of the Ashram in their original form.

The Prime Minister blamed the lack of willpower, colonial mindset, and appeasement for the long neglect of such monuments. He gave an example of Kashi Vishwanath Dham where people cooperated and 12 acres of land came out for the project for creating facilities for the devotees which resulted in the arrival of 12 crore pilgrims after the redevelopment of Kashi Vishwanath Dham. Similarly, 200 acres of land were freed for the expansion of Shri Ram Janambhoomi in Ayodhya. There too more than 1 crore devotees have gone for Darshan in just the last 50 days.

PM Modi said that Gujarat showed the way to the preservation of heritage for the entire nation. He mentioned the rejuvenation of Somnath under the leadership of Sardar Patel as a historic event. Other preservation examples are the city of Ahmedabad as a World Heritage City along with Champaner and Dholavira, Lothal, Girnar, Pavagadh, Modhera, and Ambaji, he said.

The Prime Minister called upon the Government of Gujarat and Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation to create a competition for guides as Ahmedabad is a heritage city and also urged the schools to take at least 1000 children every day to Sabarmati Ashram and spend time. “This will allow us to relive the moments without the need for any extra budget”. Concluding the address, the Prime Minister expressed confidence that providing a new perspective will give strength to the nation’s development journey.

Governor of Gujarat, Shri Acharya Devvrat, and Chief Minister of Gujarat, Shri Bhupendra Patel were present on the occasion among others.

Background

The Prime Minister inaugurated the redeveloped Kochrab Ashram. It was the first Ashram established by Mahatma Gandhi after coming to India from South Africa in 1915. It is still preserved as a memorial and tourist space by Gujarat Vidyapeeth. The Prime Minister also launched the Master Plan of the Gandhi Ashram Memorial.

It has been the constant endeavor of the Prime Minister to uphold and cherish the ideals that Mahatma Gandhi stood for and also develop avenues that showcase his ideals and bring him closer to the people. In yet another effort in this endeavor, the Gandhi Ashram Memorial Project will help revitalize Mahatma Gandhi’s teachings and philosophy for present and future generations. Under this master plan, the existing five-acre area of the Ashram will be expanded to 55 acres. 36 existing buildings shall undergo restoration, out of which, 20 buildings including ‘Hriday Kunj’, which served as Gandhi’s residence, will be conserved, 13 will undergo restoration, and 3 will be reproduced.