The saga of the Indian struggle for freedom against its British colonizers is incomplete without the contributions of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. Born on 2nd October 1869, this year marks his 153rd birth anniversary. However, beyond the history pages and banknotes, Gandhi remains an enigma for the children of his country. To change that, we have brought five interesting facts about Mahatma Gandhi and help you know more about the Father of our Nation.
Let’s take a look:
1. Mahatma Gandhi is a five-time Nobel Peace Prize Nominee
When you stand against the most powerful nation of that time and preach the ways of non-violence and peace, people are going to take notice. However, unlike Gandhi’s message, which successfully echoed worldwide, his Nobel Prize nominations never materialized.
There are various theories as to why this was the case. Some experts suggest that it was because he was brown. In contrast, others argue that the Norwegian Nobel Committee did not want to risk their relationship with Great Britain.
Whatever the case might be, there is no question that Gandhi would have been a flag-bearer of the Nobel Prize.
2. Britain released a stamp as a tribute to Gandhi
Twenty-one years after his death, Great Britain paid tribute to her adversary by releasing a stamp in his name. This initiative shows the international influence that Gandhi held, even in the country he fought against during the freedom struggle.
The issue of the Gandhi stamp is one of the most interesting facts about Mahatma Gandhi.
3. His funeral procession was around 8 km long
Gandhi was assassinated on 30th January 1948. It was a dark time for India. The country had just earned its Independence on 15th August 1947, and within a few months, one of its most prominent leaders was shot.
Thousands of people came from across the world and different corners to pay tribute to Gandhi. His assailant, Nathuram Godse, was later hanged for the crimes.
4. Gandhi wrote letters to many renowned personalities
As a profound humanitarian, Gandhi had written letters to many renowned personalities, including Hitler, Mussolini, Einstein, and Chaplin. His letters to Hitler garnered much attention later for their pleas to him as a friend to stop the rampage.
You can read more here. Gandhi’s letter correspondence with other personalities is one of the lesser-known exciting facts about Mahatma Gandhi.
5. His name is associated with 48 streets outside India
If you live in an Indian city, chances are there is a road in your hometown after Gandhi. But it isn’t just us that name our streets after the great man.
There are 48 roads all over the world outside India that are named after the great leader. From Dusseldorf, Bonn, and Stuttgart in Germany to Buenos Aires in Argentina, London in England, and Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, his life inspires many!
Check out the complete list here.
These are the five interesting facts about Mahatma Gandhi that you seldom find in history books. Think we missed something that should have made the list?
Share your exciting facts about Gandhi in the comments below.
