Sevagram

Sevagram
village
Adi Nivas, the first residence of Mahatma Gandhi in Sevagram Ashram.
Sevagram
Sevagram
Coordinates: 20°44′10″N 78°39′45″E / 20.73611°N 78.66250°E / 20.73611; 78.66250Coordinates: 20°44′10″N 78°39′45″E / 20.73611°N 78.66250°E / 20.73611; 78.66250
Country India
State Maharashtra
District Wardha
Government
 • Body Gram panchayat
Languages
 • Official Marathi
Time zone UTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN 442 102
Telephone code 91 7152
Vehicle registration MH-32
Nearest city Wardha
Lok Sabha constituency Wardha
Vidhan Sabha constituency Wardha
Website maharashtra.gov.in

Sevagram (meaning "A village for/of service") is the name of a village in the state of Maharashtra, India. It was the place of Mohandas Gandhi's (Gandhiji's) ashram and his residence from 1936 to his death in 1948.[1]

Overview

Sevagram is a small village, located about 8 km from Wardha. Mahatma Gandhi set up his ashram in the outskirts of the village when barely 1,000 people lived there. Seth Jamnalal Bajaj of Wardha, a disciple of Mahatma Gandhi, made available to the ashram about 300 acres (1.2 km2) of land.[2] Near the ashram there is a museum where artifacts of India's freedom struggle are preserved.

History

When Gandhi started his padayatra (foot march) in 1930 from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi for the Salt Satyagraha, he decided not to return to Sabarmati till India achieved independence. Gandhi was imprisoned for more than two years. On his release he spent sometime travelling around India. He decided to make a village in Central India his headquarters. He came to Wardha in 1934, at the invitation of his follower and industrialist, Jamnalal Bajaj and stayed in one of the rooms at Jamnalal's bungalow (Bajajwadi)[3] at Wardha and in the Prarthana mandir of Mahila Ashram for sometime.[4]

In April 1936, Gandhiji established his residence in a village called Segaon[5] at the outskirts of Wardha, which he renamed as Sevagram, which means 'village of service'. Gandhiji was 67 years old when he came to Sevagram. The small homes which were built in the ashram for Gandhi and Kasturba, and his followers were similar to the typical village homes. The ashram employed some harijans in the common kitchen to break the caste barrier. Vinoba Bhave's Param Dham Ashram is located on the banks of the Dhaam river close by. Many decisions on important national matters and movements were taken at Sevagram. It became the central place for a number of institutions for the nation building activities devised by Gandhiji to suit the inherent strength of this country.

Sevagram is 8 km from Wardha town in Maharashtra and 75 km from Nagpur. In spite of many practical difficulties, Gandhiji decided to settle here. Though he did not have any intentions of keeping anybody with him except his wife Kasturba, pressure of work necessitated more colleagues with him till Sevagram Ashram became a full-fledged institution. There were no facilities at Sevagram, not even a post or telegraph office. The letters used to be brought from Wardha. There was another village in this region named Shegaon, made famous by the residence of Saint Gajanan Maharaj. So, Gandhiji's letters used to get misdirected. Therefore, it was decided in 1940 to rename this village as Sevagram[6] or 'the village of service'.

Transport

Sevagram railway station is 6 km from the main village. Previously the station was named as Wardha East railway station. There is one of the sharpest railway turns near the station. Sevagram is a station on the Howrah-Nagpur-Mumbai line. Sevagram is well connected by rail, bus and airport; the closest airport is situated around 55 km away.Also many trains from the north side towards south passes through this route. Warud station is nearer but few trains stop there.

Education

Sevagram is home to the first rural medical college in India, the Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, and an engineering college, Bapurao Deshmukh College of Engineering which is also run by a rural trust.

References

  1. ↑ "The History of Sevagram Ashram". http://www.gandhiashramsevagram.org/. The Gandhi Ashram at Sevagram – Official website. Retrieved 17 June 2014. External link in |website= (help)
  2. ↑ "Paramdham Ashram". http://www.jamnalalbajajfoundation.org. The Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation. Archived from the original on 26 May 2014. Retrieved 17 June 2014. External link in |website= (help)
  3. ↑ "Bajajwadi". http://www.jamnalalbajajfoundation.org. The Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation. Retrieved 17 June 2014. External link in |website= (help)
  4. ↑ Desai, Mahadev (1968). Day To Day With Gandhi. Wardha: Sarva Seva Sangh Prakashan. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
  5. ↑ "About Sevagram". http://www.jamnalalbajajfoundation.org. The Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation. Retrieved 17 June 2014. External link in |website= (help)
  6. ↑ Official website of Gandhiji in Sewagram, Sevagram and Mahatma Gandhi
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