Mani Bhavan Gandhi Sangrahalaya, Mumbai

The Mani Bhavan Gandhi Sangrahalaya in Mumbai happens to be a museum where Mahatma Gandhi stayed in the course of his visits to Bombay from the year 1917 to the year 1934. He used to come to Bombay frequently at that time to formulate his very own philosophy of non-violence protest against the ruling Britishers in India.

The civil Disobedience Campaign that flagged off in the past was kick-started from this place. The Mani Bhavan Gandhi Sangrahalaya has many other significant historical feathers attached to its cap.

The exhibits in Mani Bhavan Gandhi Sangrahalaya are more of Mahatma Gandhi's personal belongings. It also consists of several photographic records of his personal life along with many other important documents and letters from various important personalities of that era from all over the world. 

With the passage of time, this place has made its way into the tourism landscape of Mumbai. It is now one of the most important places in the tourism map of Mumbai, attracting a good number of tourists all over the year. Check out all the things that you should be aware of before visiting this place.

History of Mani Bhavan Gandhi Sangrahalaya:

The Mani Bhavan was the place where once upon a time Gandhi used to spend his days in Mumbai in the course of the Independence struggle. The building was owned by one of Gandhi’s friends named Shri Revashankar Jhaveri. 

This building has witnessed more than a few freedom struggle movements. Satyagraha was one of them. As the building was closely associated with Mahatma Gandhi, it was dedicated as a memorial of Gandhi in the year 1955. It is also the same place where Gandhi was arrested on 4 January in the year 1932. This incident even makes this place more interesting for tourists visiting Mumbai. 

If you are someone who has a keen interest in knowing about the freedom struggle of India, then this place will surely be an encyclopedia of information. You can learn about various freedom fighting movements and also about the key personalities associated with them. Many pictorial and documented evidences are displayed in the Sangrahalaya, which are not available anywhere else.

A tour in and around the Mani Bhavan Gandhi Sangrahalaya will be  very influential in gaining knowledge about India’s past. 

Attractions of Mani Bhavan Gandhi Sangrahalaya:

The Mani Bhavan Gandhi Sangrahalaya is considered one of the most prominent Gandhi memorials in the country. This building is surely one of the places that will give you a clear picture of the life of Gandhi and the great freedom movement of India. The Mani Bhavan consists of the following:

1. Library - The library in the Sangrahalaya consists of more than 40000 books and many periodicals. The books in the collection are more or less about Gandhi, his thoughts, freedom fighting movements, and on some allied subjects. This public library is mostly occupied by many individuals who follow Gandhian principles in their life. The public library remains open on all days except the second and fourth Saturdays. It also remains closed on public holidays. 

2. Gandhiji’s Room - The room is on the second floor of the building and it used to be Gandhi’s living room. This was the place where Gandhi used to stay. It too has many personal belongings as well as artefacts of that time. The room has been preserved as it is in the original condition. This is also one of the places in Mani Bhavan Gandhi Sangrahalaya which attracts lots of tourists. 

3. Terrace - The terrace of the present-day Mani Bhavan Sangrahalaya is one of the top tourist attractions. This is for the reason that Gandhi was arrested from there in the year 1932. He used to spend most of his time on the terrace either sleeping or praying. Gandhiji used to spend most of time his time meditating in the calm and peaceful environment. 

4. Picture Gallery - The picture gallery in the sangrahalaya is one of the places that has many exhibits of images from those days during various important events. All the exhibits have a definitive caption either in Hindi or in English. You can also find some of the replicas of Mahatma Gandhi’s belongings and various models of his birthplace. Models of his days in a number of places like Sabarmati Ashram, Phoenix Ashram and Sevagram Kutir are also exhibited in the gallery. 

5. Auditorium - The auditorium in the sangrahalaya mostly plays films and some of the important speeches of Mahatma Gandhi. This place is also used for holding some public meetings, discussions, seminars and various other cultural functions.

From Airport?

The Mani Bhavan Gandhi Sangrahalaya is situated at a distance of 21 km from Chhatrapati Shivaji International airport. It will hardly take you 45 minutes to reach if you choose to travel on the western express highway. 

You can also make use of local trains to reach the museum, however, you would need to walk for a certain distance. It would be convenient to reach the museum if you take an auto or cab from the airport.