"Porbandar-A Tribute to Non-Violence" Porbandar by anilpradhanshillong

From Dwarka to Porbandar is a distance of 75-odd kilometres and should take you not more than an hour and ten minutes. The highway is excellent and the scene from the left-hand side window of the Arabian Sea is gorgeous. It is a wise idea to stop somewhere halfway and admire the rolling, ceaseless waves as they crash onto the shore, their fury spent, till the next tide hits the beach.

The man was self-effacing. The house he was born in is equally modest. There is no huge statue of Gandhiji near his birthplace. The entrance is unpretentious, the rooms simple and bare. Additional buildings have come up and an ornate statue of him and of Kasturba has been commissioned. Thankfully, both are discrete and unobtrusive. The steps leading from one floor to the other are steep and, at times, unwieldy. In one room you come across an alcove with a false bottom where money was stored in the old days.

Don’t miss out on the photo gallery that is on the first floor on the other end of the building. The photos here have been digitally re-mastered and lovingly laid out. They depict Gandhiji from his boyhood to barrister to Father of the Nation phase. Some are the ones you’ve seen all along but quite a few of them are rare and are masterpieces of black and white photography. An absolute visual treat and one that should not be missed. He gave his life for your freedom; give him an hour of your time. And still, you will be the gainer.

Contact person is Shri. L.B. Bhasa, Manager, Mahatma Gandhi Kirti Mandir, Porbandat, Gujarat. His phone number is +91-286-2242926. He's a very helpful man.

• Pros:Father of the Nation
• Cons:Very hot place
• In a nutshell:Simple surroundings - Great man