A collection of handwritten notes by Mahatma Gandhi has sold for $1.70 million (Rs 16.20 crore) at an auction in India, setting a record price for an Indian historical document.
The collection, which contains Gandhi’s daily reflections written over a two-year period, was addressed to his close aide and friend Anand T Hingorani. Gandhi wrote the messages to provide spiritual guidance and consolation to Hingorani following the death of his wife, Vidya.
The handwritten reflections were later compiled and published as the book A Thought for the Day, making the manuscripts an important record of Gandhi’s personal philosophy and his relationship with those close to him.
The sale was conducted by Indian auction house Saffronart as the highlight of an 86-lot auction titled “Gandhi: From the Collection of Anand T Hingorani.”
The wider collection, preserved by the Hingorani family for decades, spans more than 20 years of Gandhi’s life and includes personal correspondence and other documents connected to significant periods of India’s independence movement.
The record-setting sale highlights the enduring historical and cultural value of Gandhi’s handwritten documents, offering a rare insight into both his philosophy and his personal relationships during a pivotal period in Indian history.