Gyarah Murti

Last updated

Gyarah Murti is a monument located in New Delhi, India, commemorating the country's struggle for independence under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi. Devi Prasad Roy Choudhury is credited as its sculptor. An ensemble of eleven statues, ten represent people from diverse sociocultural, religious and economic backgrounds following Gandhi in the lead. Widely believed to depict the Dandi March, the statue has been replicated in other cities in India and was featured on the old 500-rupee currency note. [1] [2]

Contents

The Gyarah Murti statue Gyarah Murti Statue, New Delhi.JPG
The Gyarah Murti statue

Location

The statue is located near the President's Estate, New Delhi, at the T-junction where Sardar Patel Marg meets Mother Teresa Crescent. [3] [4] [5] The statue is approached through Sardar Patel Marg and the entire locality is known as Gyarah Murti. [6]

The statue is located at the junction of Sardar Patel Marg and Mother Teresa Crescent. 11 Murti, New Delhi.JPG
The statue is located at the junction of Sardar Patel Marg and Mother Teresa Crescent.

Sculptor

Devi Prasad Roy Choudhury is credited as the creator of the statue which was commissioned by the Government of India in 1972 as a national monument to commemorate the silver jubilee of Indian independence. [7] [8] [9] It bears semblance to the Martyr's Memorial in Patna, which was inaugurated in 1956, and features six figures following a flag bearer. [10] The Martyr's Memorial in Patna commemorates the martyrdom of seven students who were shot dead by the Gurkha Military Police as they attempted to hoist the Congress flag at the Patna Secretariat as part of the Quit India Movement. [11] [12]


Martyr's Memorial in Patna Sahid Smarak.JPG
Martyr's Memorial in Patna

Design

The statue features at its head Mahatma Gandhi who is followed by ten other persons who include a woman with a sari draped over her head, a group of three men – a Hindu, a Sikh and a Muslim, a turbaned man, an emaciated man, a Christian priest, a woman and a young man urging a tired old man to join the group. [13] The statues are bronze cast and have a height of 8 feet (2.4 m), and the entire installation is 26 metres (85 ft) long and 3 metres (9.8 ft) tall. [14] [15]

It is commonly believed that the statue represents Gandhi's march to Dandi and that certain figures have been modelled on Matangini Hazra, Sarojini Naidu, Brahmabandhab Upadhyay and Abbas Tyabji. [16] [17] However, both these assumptions have been disputed. It has been contended that the statue is not a representation of the Salt March as were no women among the group of satyagrahis who accompanied Gandhi on this march. [18] The plaque at the statue states that it was built "In memory of the countless Indians who, generation after generation, struggled and sacrificed against foreign rule. Mahatma Gandhi's leadership of the Indian National Congress finally won independence and Jawaharlal Nehru became the first Prime Minister of free India on 15 August 1947." [19] As is the case in Choudhary's other works, the figures that constitute the Gyarah Murti, with the exception of Gandhi, are not persons of eminence but represent common people drawn from various classes and communities of India united in the common cause of seeking India's independence. [20] The statue is one of Delhi's best-known examples of public art. [21] [22]

Replicas and other depictions

Reverse of the Rs500 banknote between October 1997 - November 2016 India 500 INR, MG series, 2014, reverse.jpg
Reverse of the ₹500 banknote between October 1997 – November 2016

Who Deviated First?, a digital print on archival paper by the artist Gigi Scaria, is a morphed photograph of the Gyarah Murti where the statues following Gandhi have been turned around and appear to walk in the opposite direction. [23] [24] The 2010 work is a comment on India's divergence from Gandhi's ideals and its growing communal and caste violence. [25] [26] A replica of the Gyarah Murti was installed in Mysore, Karnataka, in 2011, whereas the copy built in 2015 in Godhra in Gujarat met with controversy when it emerged that it had only nine followers instead of ten as in the original. [27] [28] [29] Following widespread criticism, the municipal authorities were forced to fix the error. [30] [31] Gyarah Murti featured on a 2010 postage stamp issued by Togo. [32] It also featured on a 2019 postage stamp released by India Post as part of a series on Gandhian heritage in Modern India to commemorate the 150th birthday of Mahatma Gandhi. [33] India's 500-rupee currency note featured the statue on its reverse side. [34] [35]

Controversies

In 1999 the round spectacles on Gandhi's statue were stolen, and the statue has since remained without them. The thief was never caught, and the theft has remained unresolved. [36] [37]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mahatma Gandhi</span> Indian independence activist (1869–1948)

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist, and political ethicist who employed nonviolent resistance to lead the successful campaign for India's independence from British rule. He inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. The honorific Mahātmā, first applied to him in South Africa in 1914, is now used throughout the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salt March</span> 1930 Indian protest led by Mahatma Gandhi

The Salt march, also known as the Salt Satyagraha, Dandi March, and the Dandi Satyagraha, was an act of nonviolent civil disobedience in colonial India, led by Mahatma Gandhi. The 24-day march lasted from 12 March 1930 to 6 April 1930 as a direct action campaign of tax resistance and nonviolent protest against the British salt monopoly. Another reason for this march was that the Civil Disobedience Movement needed a strong inauguration that would inspire more people to follow Gandhi's example. Gandhi started this march with 78 of his trusted volunteers. The march spanned 387 kilometres (240 mi), from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi, which was called Navsari at that time. Growing numbers of Indians joined them along the way. When Gandhi broke the British Raj salt laws at 8:30 am on 6 April 1930, it sparked large-scale acts of civil disobedience against the salt laws by millions of Indians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dandi, Navsari</span> Village in Gujarat, India

Dandi is a village in the Jalalpore taluka, Navsari District, Gujarat, India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rajmohan Gandhi</span> Indian historian, biographer and academic (born 1935)

Rajmohan Gandhi is an Indian biographer, historian, politician and research professor at the Center for South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, US. His paternal grandfather is Mahatma Gandhi, and his maternal grandfather is Chakravarthi Rajagopalachari. He is also a scholar in residence at the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar.

<i>Hindustan Times</i> Indian newspaper

Hindustan Times is an Indian English-language daily newspaper based in Delhi. It is the flagship publication of HT Media Limited, an entity controlled by the Birla family, and is owned by Shobhana Bhartia, the daughter of K. K. Birla.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tushar Gandhi</span> Indian author

Tushar Arun Gandhi is an Indian author and son of Arun Manilal Gandhi, thus great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi. In March 2005, he led the 75th anniversary re-enactment of the Dandi March. From 2007 to 2012, he was the Goodwill Ambassador of the CISRI-ISP Intergovernmental Institution for the use of Micro-algae Spirulina Against Malnutrition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Didarganj Yakshi</span> Very early Indian stone statue

The Didarganj Yakshi is one of the finest examples of very early Indian stone statues. It used to be dated to the 3rd century BCE, as it has the fine Mauryan polish associated with Mauryan art, but another Yakshi is also found but without Polish so it is also dated to approximately the 2nd century CE, based on the similarity of analysis of shape and ornamentation, or the 1st century CE. The treatment of the forelock in particular is said to be characteristically Kushan.

"Raghupati Raghava Raja Ram" is a bhajan widely popularised by Mahatma Gandhi and set to tune by Vishnu Digambar Paluskar in Raga Mishra Gara.

A padayatra is a journey undertaken by politicians or prominent citizens to interact more closely with different parts of society, educate about issues concerning them, and galvanize his or her supporters. Padayatras or foot pilgrimages are also Hindu religious pilgrimages undertaken towards sacred shrines or pilgrimage sites.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indian 500-rupee note</span> Highest value banknote of the Indian rupee

The Indian 500-rupee banknote is a denomination of the Indian rupee. In 1987, the ₹500 note was introduced, followed by the ₹1,000 note in the year. The current ₹500 banknote, in circulation since 10 November 2016, is a part of the Mahatma Gandhi New Series. The previous banknotes of the Mahatma Gandhi Series, in circulation between October 1997 and November 2016, were demonetised on November 8, 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mahatma Gandhi Memorial (Washington, D.C.)</span> Statue in Washington, D.C., U.S.

The Mahatma Gandhi Memorial is a public statue of Mahatma Gandhi, installed on a triangular island along Massachusetts Avenue, in front of the Embassy of India, Washington, D.C., in the United States. A gift from the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, it was dedicated on September 16, 2000 during a state visit of Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in the presence of US President Bill Clinton.

Statue of <i>Mahatma Gandhi</i>, Gandhi Maidan Monument in Gandhi Maidan, Patna, Bihar, India

The statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Gandhi Maidan, Patna, is a public monument of India's father of Nation Mahatma Gandhi. The statue is the world's tallest bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi. It was unveiled on 15 February 2013 by the then chief minister of Bihar, Nitish Kumar. It was established by Government of Bihar at a cost of ₹35 crore. The second tallest Gandhi statue turuvanur Chitradurga taluk and district karnataka

<span class="mw-page-title-main">D. P. Roy Choudhury</span> Indian sculptor and painter (1899–1975)

Devi Prasad Roy Choudhury was an Indian sculptor, painter and educator. He is well known for his monumental bronze sculptures, especially the Triumph of Labour and the Martyrs' Memorial, and is rated by many as one among the major artists of Indian modern art. He worked in a broad spectrum of mediums including watercolors, expressionist landscapes and commissioned portraits. Large scale sculptures were his particular strength and he made social realism the cornerstone of his art. In addition to painting and sculpting, he also wrestled, played the flute, engaged in hunting and wrote short stories in his spare time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mithuben Petit</span> Indian nationalist activist (1892–1973)

Mithuben Hormusji Petit was one of the pioneer Indian independence female activists who participated in Mahatma Gandhi's Dandi March. She became a recipient of India’s fourth highest-civilian honour, Padma Shri in 1961, for her social work.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Salt Satyagraha Memorial</span> Memorial in Dandi, Gujarat, India

The National Salt Satyagraha Memorial or Dandi Memorial is a memorial in Dandi, Gujarat, India, that honors the activists and participants of the Salt Satyagraha, an act of nonviolent civil disobedience in colonial India which was led by Mahatma Gandhi in 1930. The memorial is spread over a 15 acres (61,000 m2) and is located in the coastal town of Dandi, where the Salt March ended on 5 April 1930 and the British salt monopoly was broken by producing salt by boiling sea water. The project was developed at an estimated cost of ₹89 crore (US$11 million).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sadashiv Sathe</span> Indian sculptor (1926–2021)

Sadashiv Sathe or Bhau Sathe was an Indian sculptor. His notable works include the 5-metre high statue of Mahatma Gandhi that is part of the main structure of the National Salt Satyagraha Memorial situated at Dandi, Navsari and the 18-foot equestrian statue of Shivaji at the Gateway of India, Mumbai.

Adwaita Gadanayak is an Indian sculptor.

The Statue of Mahatma Gandhi is a 16-foot (4.9 m) tall bronze statue of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi located in the precincts of the Parliament House of India in New Delhi. Designed by Ram V. Sutar, it was inaugurated in 1993, and has become iconic as a site for protest by members of the Indian Parliament.

Bihar Vidyapeeth is an Indian Educational Institution founded by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi on 6 February 1921 but it was seized by the British in 1942. It was started in Patna by Shri Rajendra Prasad and the land was donated by Maulana Mazharul Haque. Its first Institution was opened at Patna-Gaya road presently known as Buddha Marg. It was inaugurated by Mohammad Ali Jauhar and Kasturba Gandhi along with Mahatma Gandhi. In 2022, it is proposed to make Bihar Vidyapeeth a Central University.

References

  1. ↑ "This Gandhi Jayanti, we follow trail of the Mahatma's statues in Delhi NCR". Hindustan Times. 1 October 2016. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  2. ↑ "Glimpses of Gandhi: Places you can visit". Hindustan Times. 2 October 2019. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  3. ↑ Brown, Judith; Parel, Anthony (21 February 2011). The Cambridge Companion to Gandhi. Cambridge University Press. p. 213. ISBN   978-1-139-82484-2 . Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  4. ↑ Das, Arpita (6 April 2019). "The women who heeded Gandhi's call". mint. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  5. ↑ "Mahatma Gandhi's legacy looms large over Rashtrapati Bhavan". The Indian Express. 4 October 2020. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  6. ↑ "Delhi's missing public art". The Indian Express. 27 March 2009. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  7. ↑ "Govt plan for Independence jubilee". The Hindu. 19 July 2022. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  8. ↑ Nainy, Mamta (23 March 2018). A Brush with Indian Art. Penguin Random House India Private Limited. p. 109. ISBN   978-93-5305-171-6 . Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  9. ↑ "October 16, Forty Years Ago: Sculptor Dead". The Indian Express. 16 October 2015. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  10. ↑ Singh, Abhay (17 June 2012). "Martyred for freedom". The Times of India. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  11. ↑ Kumar, Abhay (19 November 2018). "The magnificent 7 of Bihar live on". Deccan Herald. DHNS. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  12. ↑ "Foundation of Patna's Martyrs Memorial laid on Aug 15, 1947; spl philatelic tribute on 75th anniv". ThePrint. PTI. 16 August 2022. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  13. ↑ "Here's All About Gyarah Murti, A Massive & Glistening Black Sculpture In The Heart Of The City". So City. 12 March 2022. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  14. ↑ "Public Art: Sculptures by Deviprasad Roy Chowdhury capture key moments in Indian History". The Heritage Lab. 17 June 2021. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  15. ↑ Milton, Lawrence; Aug 10, H. M. Aravind / TNN / Updated. "I-Day gift: Bringing alive Dandi March". The Times of India. Retrieved 18 July 2022.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  16. ↑ Das, Arpita (6 April 2019). "The women who heeded Gandhi's call". mint. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  17. ↑ "Public Art: Sculptures by Deviprasad Roy Chowdhury capture key moments in Indian History". The Heritage Lab. 17 June 2021. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  18. ↑ Reading, A.; Katriel, T. (9 June 2015). Cultural Memories of Nonviolent Struggles: Powerful Times. Springer. pp. 41–43. ISBN   978-1-137-03272-0 . Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  19. ↑ Reading, A.; Katriel, T. (9 June 2015). Cultural Memories of Nonviolent Struggles: Powerful Times. Springer. pp. 41–43. ISBN   978-1-137-03272-0 . Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  20. ↑ Kurian, Annly Anna (30 March 2021). "Statues of New Delhi". Dhaara. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  21. ↑ "Delhi's missing public art". The Indian Express. 27 March 2009. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  22. ↑ Kumar, Meenakshi (10 October 2010). "Public art needs a start". The Times of India. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  23. ↑ "Artists across generations have painted the Mahatma". The Indian Express. 2 October 2021. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  24. ↑ "Bapu as a muse". The Pioneer. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  25. ↑ Reading, A.; Katriel, T. (9 June 2015). Cultural Memories of Nonviolent Struggles: Powerful Times. Springer. pp. 41–43. ISBN   978-1-137-03272-0 . Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  26. ↑ "A look at Mahatma Gandhi through the eyes of artists". Architectural Digest India. Condé Nast. 2 October 2019. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  27. ↑ "Replica of 'Gyarah Moorti' unveiled in city". Deccan Herald. 15 August 2011. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  28. ↑ Milton, Lawrence; Aug 10, H. M. Aravind / TNN / Updated. "I-Day gift: Bringing alive Dandi March". The Times of India. Retrieved 18 July 2022.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  29. ↑ "Godhra's 'Gyarah Murti' minus one, to be replaced". The Indian Express. 7 July 2016. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  30. ↑ "Godhra municipality begins work to fix Gyarah Murti mural". The Times of India. 29 July 2016. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  31. ↑ "Missing 'Gyarah Murti' figure: Godhra Municipality begins work to modify Dandi march sculpture". The Indian Express. 30 July 2016. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  32. ↑ R, Lavanya. Life of Mahatma Gandhi through Philately: Gandhi Stamp Catalogue. Catabooks. p. 460. ISBN   978-93-5473-554-7.
  33. ↑ "Postage Stamps Highlight Gandhian Heritage in Modern India". Mintage World. 20 August 2019. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  34. ↑ "Iconic sculpture in the heart of Delhi". Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. Ministry of Culture, Government of India. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  35. ↑ Pushkarna, Neha (1 October 2016). "This Gandhi Jayanti, we follow trail of the Mahatma's statues in Delhi NCR". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  36. ↑ "What makes this Gandhi statue in Luxembourg a rare find". The Week. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  37. ↑ "Gandhi statue without glasses 18 years after theft". Hindustan Times. 1 October 2018. Retrieved 18 July 2022.

28°36′36″N77°11′30″E / 28.61000°N 77.19167°E / 28.61000; 77.19167

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.