The Gandhi Museum Madurai is one of the five museums in the country and houses many items related to Gandhiji's memory such as his blood-soaked dhoti that he wore on the day he was killed. Many photographs of Gandhiji are also kept in this museum. This museum is an ancient place and belongs to Queen Mangammal who was a part of the Nayak dynasty. After Gandhi's death, this palace was converted into a museum by the Gandhi Memorial Trust. The museum also has a bookstore with a collection of books related to Gandhi's thoughts and life. There is also an open theater where cultural programs, screening of films and meetings on Gandhiji are organized.
History of Gandhi Museum
The Gandhi Museum is remembered as a tribute to the father of India. The museum also displays the pictures of his efforts in the freedom struggle. The Gandhi Museum Madurai was established in 1959 about eleven years after his assignation. Situated in the center of the Madurai city the Gandhi museum is on the few of its kind. The museum consists of some of the most extraordinary souvenirs related to the history of India like the cloth which is stained in the blood which Gandhi wore at the time of his death in the year 1948. It belongs to five of the great Gandhi Museums in India that portrays the life of the Father of the nation and India's freedom struggle from 1757 until 1947.
The Museum was inaugurated by Jawaharlal Nehru on the 15th of April in the year 1959. Artworks and graphic representations are conveying of how the freedom struggle was during the British rule. The Gandhi Museum Madurai has a rich history, and the building was a palace in the 7th-century. Gandhi Museum in Madurai was selected as one of the Peace Museums Worldwide by the United Nations Organization (UNO).
Things to see at the Gandhi Museum
The galleries of the museum show the accounts of the pre-independent India during the period when ill-fated mayhems were committed by the British. There are also other specialties in the Gandhi Museum Madurai, such as historical stamps of the British rule in India and letters which were written by and to Mahatma Gandhi. There are also letters written to Subramanian Bharati who was a poet and an activist. Also, letter to the infamous dictator Adolf Hitler is preserved there! The museum contains sections that have 124 rare photographs showing the personal life of Mahatma Gandhi. The museum also consists of 100 relics and replicas of artifacts about Gandhiji. There is also a Khadi and Village Industries section of the museum where you can see handloom products and showpieces of spinning wheels.
How to Reach Gandhi Museum
Reaching the Gandhi Museum Madurai is very easy via Gandhi Museum Road from Rajaji Park. The central bus stand is at a distance of about 3 kilometers on Melur Road. The Madurai railway station is about 4.5 kilometers from the Gandhi Museum.
Best time to visit the Gandhi Museum
Gandhi Museum can be visited throughout the year while the best time to visit is during the winter season. The rest of the year, the city experiences a hot and dry climate.
Places to visit near Gandhi Museum
Madurai is bustling with a large number of famous tourist attractions and the popular places to visit near Gandhi Museum are Meenakshi Temple, Thirumalai Nayakar Mahal, Alagar Koil, Mariamman Teppakulam, etc.
Gandhi Memorial Museum Timings and Entry Fees:
Gandhi Museum Madurai Timings:
Monday To Sunday: 10:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. and 2:00 P.M. to 5:45 P.M.
Gandhi Museum Madurai Entry Fees:
Entry Fees of the museum is fee for indian and foreigners tourists. Tourists only charge for electronics items. Camera Fee is INR 50.