GANDHI and BANGALORE

When Mahatma Gandhi visited Bangalore, he stayed in a guesthouse close to where the Gandhi Bhavan stands today.

The Bhavan is well worth visiting if you have some interest in one of the most unusual personalities of the 20th century.

At the entrance, there is a small shop where a helpful assistant will sell you publications by, or about Gandhi.

The entrance leads to a courtyard with a garden in it. In the garden, there is a statue of Gandhi.

On the first floor, there is a small museum of photographs showing different stages in Gandhi's life. Some of the captions are in English, and a few in Kannada only.

Next door to the Bhavan on Kumara Krupa Road, there is a Khadi Shop. Khadi is home-spun textile, which Gandhi encouraged Indians to make instead of buying textiles spun in the UK before being sold in India. The shop is delightfully old-fashioned, and there are some lovely goods to be bought there at remarkably reasonable prices.

Visiting the Gandhi Bhavan is a very charming Indian experience, and well-worth doing.

Address: KUMARA PARK EAST

Directions: Near Chitrakala Parishad Art College

Phone: +91 80 22261967

See also: http://gandhibhavanbangalore.blogspot.co.uk/