Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, fondly called as Bapu, is the name synonymous with non-violence. He is the man who brought the British empire to its knees and whose sacrifices earned him the title of ‘Father of Nation’. He is not just an individual but an entire movement in itself. His journey from a lawyer in South Africa to the Bapu of India is truly inspiring. He has not only inspired Indians but also people around the globe.
Bapu's birthday on October 2nd is marked as a national holiday. It is termed as Gandhi Jayanti.
On this year's occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, here's the real story behind Gandhi's wedding to Kasturba.
Mohandas and Kasturba were born in a wealthy family of Porbandar in Gujarat. Kasturba's father Gokul Das was a rich merchant who dealt in grains, cotton and clothes. He used to export in Middle East and Africa. Gokul Das also served as a Mayor of Porbandar. Her mother, Vraj Kunwar, was a homemaker.
Meanwhile, Mohandas' father Karamchand Gandhi was a chief minister in Rana's government of Porbandar.
Both Porbandar families were friends. When Mohandas and Kastur were seven, their parents decided to turn the family friendship to relationship as they were engaged. In 1882, the marriage was solemnised when Mohandas and Kastur were 13.
The couple went on to share 62 years of their life together. Kasturba passed away on February 22, 1944.
Here is Mohandas' tribute to Kasturba:
If anything she stood above me. But for her unfailing co-operation I might have been in the abyss.
She helped me to keep wide awake and true to my vows. She stood by me in all my political fights and never hesitated to take the plunge. In the current sense of the word, she was uneducated; but to my mind she was a model of true education.
