Prime Minister inaugurated Kochrab Ashram in Sabarmati, Gujarat

The Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, visited Sabarmati Ashram where he inaugurated the Kochrab Ashram and launched the Master Plan of the Gandhi Ashram Memorial. 

During his visit, he paid his respects to Mahatma Gandhi's statue and toured Hriday Kunj. He also walked through an exhibition and planted a sapling.

About Kochrab Ashram

• Kochrab Ashram was established by Gandhi on May 25, 1915, after his return from South Africa. It was the first Ashram he founded in India. 
• However, on June 17, 1917, the Ashram was moved to a barren land on the banks of the Sabarmati River. 
• Gandhi wanted to conduct experiments in farming, cow breeding, animal husbandry, Khadi, and other constructive activities, which he could do on this land. 
• The shift was also influenced by the myth that Dadhichi Rishi, who had donated his bones for a righteous war, had an Ashram on the site. 
• Additionally, the Ashram was situated between a jail and a crematorium because Gandhi believed that a satyagrahi would inevitably end up at either location.
• The Sabarmati Ashram, also known as the Harijan Ashram, became Gandhi's home from 1917 until 1930 and played a vital role in India's freedom struggle. Originally named the Satyagraha Ashram, it became a center for the ideology that eventually led India to independence. The Ashram was established to search for truth and unite workers and committed to non-violence in order to secure India's independence.
• While in South Africa, Gandhi  established a school that emphasized manual labor, agriculture, and literacy as part of his efforts for self-reliance.
• On March 12, 1930, he launched the famous Dandi march from the Ashram with 78 companions. The march was a protest against the British Salt Law, which taxed Indian salt to promote sales of British salt in India. 
• This mass awakening resulted in the imprisonment of 60,000 freedom fighters in British jails, and the government seized their property. 
• In response, Gandhi asked the government to forfeit the Ashram, but they refused. On July 22, 1933, he decided to disband the Ashram, which later became an asserted place after the detention of many freedom fighters. However, some local citizens decided to preserve it.
• Gandhi vowed on March 12, 1930, that he would not return to the Ashram until India won independence. India declared independence on August 15, 1947. However, Gandhi was assassinated in January 1948 and never returned to the Ashram.
• Throughout the years, the Ashram has served as a haven of inspiration and guidance, offering solace to countless individuals seeking to follow in the footsteps of Gandhi and his life mission. 
• It stands as a remarkable testament to the struggles and triumphs of those who have fought for similar causes, a symbol of hope and perseverance in the face of adversity.