Gandhi's handwritten notes on life sold for $1.69m at Indian auction

What the report says

A rare set of handwritten notes by Mahatma Gandhi has been sold for $1.69 million at an auction in Mumbai, according to BBC News and auction house Saffronart. The collection, preserved by the family of Gandhi associate Anand T Hingorani, contains 688 messages written between 1944 and 1946 on themes including truth, non-violence and self-restraint.

BBC News reported that the notes were part of a larger sale titled "Gandhi: From the Collection of Anand T Hingorani," which featured 86 lots of letters, manuscripts, photographs and personal objects. The auction house said the result set a record for the highest price paid for an Indian historical document at auction. Other items included Gandhi's portable spinning wheel and writings on God and the Bhagavad Gita.

The material is significant not only because it relates to Gandhi's role in India's non-violent freedom movement, but also because it offers a more personal view of his relationship with Hingorani. The messages, later gathered into the book A Thought for the Day, reportedly show Gandhi offering advice and encouragement after the death of Hingorani's wife, Vidya.

Saffronart said the buyer was not identified, but that the notes would remain in India. As a general point of context, Gandhi is widely regarded as a central figure in India's independence struggle and is often referred to as the father of the nation.