New Delhi Blades of grass and soil pigmented with blood of Mahatma Gandhi and retrieved from the site where he was assassinated – which like other key memorabilia was recently auctioned at a sale in England — is being brought back to India
by a Mumbai- based arts body.
The city- based outfit, the Kamal Morarka Foundation for the Arts, had successfully bid to acquire the key Gandhi memorabilia at the April 17 sale. It now plans to display it in an upcoming private museum here.
The auction had triggered a major row about attempts to alt145 marketalt39Gandhi and turn him into a fad.
‘It is not our intention to re- sell such objects but to bring them back to India, so as to share with our people these important heritage artifacts that have eluded us for long, since they were in private hands outside of India,’said Kamal Morarka in a statement.
These items will be exhibited as property of India by way of travelling troupes nationally and globally through various museums, starting with soon to be inaugurated museum Osianama here. The artifacts will be displayed at Osianama commemorating Indias 65th year of independence, Morarka said.
Meanwhile, when contacted, officials at the UK auctioneers said the purchase was done by the buyer through someone in London, but cited company policy in refusing to confirm whether it was sold to the Morarka Foundation.
The KMFA claims ‘to be over the last 10 years involved with building up a collection on medieval, modern and contemporary Indian Art, with special niche areas such as the countrys history through the arts and the life and times of Rabindranath Tagore, Mahatma Gandhi and Lord Krishna.’In 2011, the foundation acquired Rabindranath Tagores famous painting ‘Death’from Sothebys along with various key works by Raja Ravi Varma, Abanindranath Tagore and Nandalal Bose.
Kamal Morarka Foundation was the mysterious buyer of blades of grass and soil pigmented with blood of Mahatma Gandhi
