In central Delhi, a Valmiki temple preserves memories of Gandhi

It has been 72 years since Mahatma Gandhi lived in a room in Valmiki Temple premises here, but it could well have been yesterday. His 'charkha', desk, wooden pen stand, 'aasan' and bed rest lie exactly as he had left it. temple, where Gandhi's room is located on left side, is dedicated to Maharishi Valmiki, who penned Ramayana. It hosted Gandhi for 214 days between April 1946 and June 1947.

Arrangements before 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi

Before his 150th birth anniversary, Gandhi's room, called 'Bapu Awaas', has been given a fresh coat of whitewash, says an assistant of temple's caretaker, Krishna Shah Vidyarthi, who has been keeping unwell for sometime.

"re will be prayers and kirtan on Wednesday morning and later, a march will be taken out in locality on occasion," he says.

On right of temple, which stands on a one-acre plot, birds gar in centre of courtyard where Gandhi held his 'sabhas'. t many people kw Gandhiji stayed here for more than 200 days, says Dinesh Hiteshi Valmiki, a member of Valmiki Satsang Shiksha Kendra Mandal. Inside 'Bapu Awaas', Dinesh Valmiki shows a part of wall on right that is painted black. It was Gandhiji's blackboard.

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He would teach English and Hindi to around 60-70 children from nearby Valmiki colony, which was earlier a slum, in this room. His aasan, desk, portable spinning wheel, wooden pen stand all of this remain exactly at same place," he says. Beneath blackboard, a large portrait of Gandhi stands on a small bed covered in a white, linen bedsheet. walls are covered with his photographs with leaders such as Jawaharlal Nehru, Lord Mountbatten, Vallabhbhai Patel, Maulana Azad et all. On left wall, re are pictures of Maharishi Vamiki, former president K R Narayanan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who visited temple in 2014. In middle of room, Gandhi's desk lies in front of his 'aasan'. His wooden pen stand adorns desk and briefcase-size portable spinning wheel rests on 'aasan'. "Bapu would spin charkha for around an hour every day," he says. Except cream-colored ceramic tiles on floor and skirting on walls, everything is way it was in 1946, Dinesh Hiteshi says, adding that temple on right was revated in 1990s.

"Most of people who lived in locality were sweepers and sanitation workers and were largely uneducated. Gandhiji asked m to send ir children to mandir for classes he conducted in morning and evening," Dinesh Hiteshi, 65, says.

Vidhyarth's attendant says Gandhi knew all his children by ir names. In those times, people would use a despicable term for locality and its people. Gandhi embraced m and gave m love, Ram Krishna Pilawal, 96, says. "Gandhi mingled with people of community. While ors considered m 'untouchables', he ate food y prepared," he said. "I remember Gandhiji would sweep courtyard with a broom. He had two goats that grazed in ground we played in," Pilawal recalls.

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