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Nainital’s Gandhi Mandir to be developed as Gandhian study centre
The dilapidated Gandhi Mandir structure, 4 km from Nainital district headqurters, was renovated last year under the heritage circuit scheme for ₹1.96 crore through Asian Development Bank funding.
Rudrapur: The Uttarakhand government has granted ₹77 lakh to develop Gandhi Mandir in Takula village, 4 km from Nainital district headquarters, as a Gandhian study centre and archives, a tourism department official said.
“The government has granted ₹77 lakh to our department. We have renovated Gandhi Mandir structure and will set up a Gandhian study centre and archives there to attract tourists as well as researchers”, said Arvind Gaur, Nainital tourism officer.
Gaur said Mahatma Gandhi visited Takula village in 1929 and 1932 and stayed there for three and ten days, respectively.
“Mahatma Gandhi was to address a public rally in Nainital but Britishers stopped him 3 km from the venue and didn’t let him proceed. In such a situation, local people arranged his stay at Takula village for three days. He not only addressed a rally at Takula but also laid the foundation stone for a temple and it was known as ‘Gandhi Mandir,” he said.
Gandhi returned to the village in 1932 along with Pandit Govind Ballabh Pant, Jamnalal Bajaj, when the construction of the temple was completed and stayed there for 10 days. Local villagers used to organise programmes on national festivals but this monument failed to attract tourists”, said Gaur.
Last year, the tourism department took initiative and renovated the dilapidated Gandhi Mandir structure under the heritage circuit scheme for ₹1.96 crore through Asian Development Bank funding.
Gaur said after renovation, the tourism department decided to turn it into a Gandhian study centre and archive. “With a ₹77 lakh budget, we will arrange Gandhi-related books in multiple languages, furniture for fifty visitors and other historical items related to the Mahatma’s life and teachings.”
