Sabarmati Ashram (Gandhi Ashram)

Sabarmati Ashram, also called Gandhi Ashram, stands on the west bank of the Sabarmati River in the Old Wadaj area of north Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Mohandas Gandhi lived and worked here from 1917 to 1930, and on 12 March 1930 he set out from the ashram on the Dandi salt march. The grounds are quiet and shaded, a marked contrast with the traffic of nearby Ashram Road. Visitors walk a self-guided circuit of the compound. Hriday Kunj, Gandhi's own cottage, keeps his simple desk, spinning wheel and writing materials. The Upasana Mandir prayer ground is an open, sandy space where prayers were held, and Magan Niwas is the residence associated with his colleague Maganlal Gandhi. The Gandhi Smarak Sangrahalaya museum holds letters, photographs, a library and documents tracing his years in Gujarat and the wider freedom movement, with panels and a short audio-visual presentation. A path runs down toward the riverbank, which gives a calm view over the water and the modern riverfront beyond. A typical visit takes 1.5 to 2 hours, and reading the museum captions properly can extend this. The ashram opens daily from 8:30AM to 6:30PM, and entry is free. Morning prayer is held at Hriday Kunj from 8:30AM to 9:30AM, which is the most atmospheric time to arrive. Weekday mornings are the quietest; weekends, school holidays and national days such as 2 October (Gandhi Jayanti) bring large crowds and school groups. Photography is generally permitted in the grounds, though visitors should check signage inside the museum rooms. Dress is informal but modest clothing suits the setting. The compound is about 6km from Kalupur railway station and can be reached by the Ashram Road bus corridor or a short auto-rickshaw ride. Many visitors combine it with the nearby Sabarmati Riverfront in the late afternoon.