A collection of notes written by independence hero Mahatma Gandhi has sold for US$1.7mil (RM6.9mil) in Mumbai, the highest ever price paid for an Indian historical document.
Mumbai-based auction house Saffronart said the collection was preserved by the family of Gandhi’s close associate and freedom fighter Anand T. Hingorani.
The 688 notes were written by Gandhi to Hingorani after the death of Hingorani’s wife Vidya, and were compiled into a book titled A Thought for the Day.
The messages, written between 1944 and 1946, touch upon several subjects including God and non-violence.
“A Thought for the Day ... sold for US$1.7mil, setting a world record for an Indian historical document sold at auction,” Saffronart said in a statement.
The notes were the main attraction of the collection, titled “Gandhi: From the Collection of Anand T Hingorani”.
“What makes this collection particularly compelling is the opportunity to see one of the most significant figures in India’s history through the lens of a close, personal relationship,” Saffronart’s co-founder Dinesh Vazirani said.
The sale reflects enduring interest in Gandhi’s legacy, and the appeal of primary-source material linked to India’s freedom movement, the auction house said.
Gandhi led a non-violent movement against British rule and inspired similar resistance campaigns across the world.
He was killed in January 1948. — AFP
