Gandhi manuscript fetches Rs 16.2 crore at Saffronart, sets world auction record

Mahatma Gandhi's personal manuscript, 'A Thought of the Day', has set a world record at a Saffronart auction by fetching Rs 16.2 crore ($1.7 million). The manuscript, written over 23 months, consists of 688 dated reflections meant for Gandhi's close friend, disciple, and publisher Anand T Hingorani. The collection spans more than two decades and includes personal correspondence, photographs, and objects like a peti charkha, offering an intimate glimpse into Gandhi's life and thought.

The Hingorani collection, featuring these reflections, underscores his profound relationship with Gandhi and his dedication to preserving and disseminating his ideologies. Historian Saaz Aggarwal notes that Hingorani, who started following Gandhi at the age of 13, collected Gandhi's writings systematically, which Gandhi encouraged and appreciated.

Hingorani, who marched with Gandhi during the Dandi Salt March, was also a cabinet minister in independent India but declined Nehru's offer due to his devotion to Gandhi's ideas.