Raj Ghat is a memorial to India’s Father of Nation, Mahatma Gandhi and is the site of Mahatma Gandhi’s cremation where Gandhi ji’s last rituals were performed. Built in 1948, Raj Ghat is only 4 kilometers away from Janpath in New Dilli and is next to Feroz Shah and Dilli Gate on the banks of the river Yamuna. In the east of Daryaganj was the “Raj Ghat Gate” of the walled city, which opened at The Raj Ghat on Yamuna River. Later the memorial area was also called Raj Ghat.
The black marble platform that marks the spot of Mahatma Gandhi’s cremation, on the 31st January 1948, a day after his assassination is left open to the sky while an eternal flame burns perpetually at one end. The road on which it is located is officially known as the Mahatma Gandhi Road. A stone footpath flanked by lawns leads to the walled enclosure that houses the memorial. All guests must remove their shoes before entering the Raj Ghat walls.
The memorial has the inscription of Hey Ram (which means ‘O God’), since these are believed to be the last words uttered by Gandhi ji. In recent years, it has become customary for foreign dignitaries visiting India to pay their respects to Gandhi at the Raj Ghat by laying flowers on the platform. As a sign of respect, visitors are required to remove footwear before approaching the memorial.
Today, the Raj Ghat attracts about 10,000 visitors a day and is a requisite stop for visiting foreign leaders. Beside the Raj Ghat is the Gandhi memorial museum which displays the life cycle of the great soul and the philosophy of the Sarvodaya Movement through a movie. The show in English is from 9.30 am to 5.30 pm except Thursdays and on Sundays the show is shown at 3 pm in Hindi and at 5 pm in English.
Independent India’s first Prime Minister Shri Jawaharlal Nehru’s Samadhi is to the north of the Raj Ghat and is known as the Shantivan or Shanti Vana meaning the forest of peace. The area has a beautiful park adorned with trees planted by visiting dignitaries and heads of state. His grandson Sanjay Gandhi’s Samadhi is next to it.
Leave a Reply