Gandhi Jayanti celebrates Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday every October 2nd. An important figure in gaining India’s independence, his birthday is one of the only three national holidays in India. The holiday celebrates Gandhi and the spirit of non-violence. Prayers and pujas are performed all over India but especially at Gandhi’s memorial, Raj Ghat, New Delhi where he was cremated. People put garlands on statues of Gandhi across India. People sing Raghupati Raghava Raja Ram, Gandhi’s favorite bhajan. Schools, colleges, and different organizations have activities to help promote non-violence and the Indian independence movement. Community service is also an important part of the holiday. Cleanliness was an important philosophy of Gandhi so clean-up projects and environmental endeavors are common for this holiday. Gandhi played an important role in shaping the Indian independence movement. His philosophy of non-violence was an important aspect of the movement. His civil disobedience gained international attention and gained support all over the world. He pushed the Swadeshi movement, encouraging self sufficiency by making local textiles. This was an important part of swaraj or self-rule. His satyagraha movement, satya meaning truth, was a movement of peaceful, political resistance. Gandhi encouraged many social causes. He advocated equality for all and harmony among the different religions of India. Gandhi’s influence extends outside of India. His non-violence philosophy and civil disobedience practices inspired many other movements, most notably Martin Luthor King Jr.’s fight for civil rights in the U.S. The United Nations celebrates Gandhi Jayanti as the International Day of Non-Violence.By Bhuma Ravindraraj
