In a beautiful verdant park on a river in Delhi, a simple, elegant platform of black marble, adorned with floral wreaths and lit with a single lantern marks the cremation of Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Nation of India. The simple words "O God" in Hindi mark the bottom of the platform at Raj Ghat (as the site is called), believed to be Gandhi's last words on being shot. Even today, visiting Raj Ghat brings a harmonious feeling of peace and tranquility and is in sharp contrast to the bustling pandemonium which characterises much of the remarkable Indian capital city of Delhi.
Today, the International Day of Non-Violence is celebrated on his birthday of 2 October every year and marks a public holiday in India. His peaceful approach to mass people-driven civil disobedience has set the standard for civil rights movements around the world.
In the same area, there are memorials marking the ashes of five Indian prime ministers and several other notable Indian politicians.
Other India Posts
It's All in the Stars (Jantar Mantar, Jaipur)
A Royal Facade (Palace of the Winds, Jaipur)
A Monument to Love (Taj Mahal)
From Dead Duck to Bird Heaven (Bharatpur)
Friday, May 1, 2009
Photo of the Week - Mahatma Gandhi's Memorial (Delhi, India)
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6 comments:
A very calm and refelctive atmosphere that comes over in your picture. I agree a comtraszt indeed for the bustling City.
Just found your blog. I have enjoyed it so far. Will visit more but am currently travelling.
Hi Mark,
I love Rajghat memorial too.
I must write this though: while 'Oh God' is an approximate translation (of Hey Rama), it doesn't convey the context in which the Hindi phrase is used. While in English, one uses the phrase to indicate sadness or despair, in Hindi it is used more liberally, even to indicate surprise, or as a random prayer.
Some people claim that Gandhi uttered these words as he was dying.
Priyank
@martin: A very tranquil place
@jen laceda: Welcome
@final-transit: Thank you for the clarification. Saying it as a final prayer makes more sense.
I have yet to visit but yes, "The story of my experiments with truth" is excellent. One must read.
Yes, correctly.
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