Prabhudas Gandhi
Prabhudas has been brought up in my hands.
He is very gentle-hearted.
He has always tried to be an absolute-self.
I have perceived right from his childhood that he has utmost consecration, which has been described as Sanyas Vrutti in the Gita.
- Mohandas "Mahatma" Gandhi
Sanyas Vrutti = a mental attitude of renouncing attachment and self-interest in all actions
Life events
1901
Prabhudas Gandhi is born on 4 December 1901 at Porbandar. His father is Chhaganlal Gandhi; his mother Kashibehn Gandhi.
1902
Father Chhaganlal Gandhi and uncle Maganlal Gandhi went to South Africa under the guidance of Mahatma Gandhi and started their own business.
1904
Phoenix Settlement was founded by Mahatma Gandhi near Durban. He started a printing press there to publish the weekly paper Indian Opinion. Prabhudas' father and uncle joined the settlement as inmates.
1905
Prabhudas reached Phoenix Settlement with his mother. He spent his childhood there. The ideals of Satyagraha and Sarvodaya were nourished in him.
He got an informal education under Gandhi's guidance in the settlement school. His parents were in the first batch of Satyagrahis.
Prabhudas acted as child-soldier during the last Satyagraha campaign in South Africa.
1914
Returned to India with his family and stayed in Gurukul Kangadi, Hardwar and Santiniketan, the community founded by Rabindranath Tagore.
1915
Mahatma Gandhi founded Kochrab Ashram in Ahmedabad. Prabhudas became one of the first 25 inmates of the ashram. Travelled with Mahatma and Kasturba Gandhi to Bihar and participated in the Champaran Satyagraha.
Also worked with other leaders, such as Rajendra Prasad, Brijkishor Babu and J.C. Kripalani.
1918
Worked in co-ordination with the teachers and students of the ashram school during the mill workers strike in Ahmedabad.
Prabhudas also got training in agriculture, spinning and weaving from Kakasaheb Kalelkar, Narharibhai Parekh, Kishorlal Mashruwala and Vinoba Bhave.
1921
When the ashram school was closed during the non-cooperation movement the students joined constructive activities: Prabhudasbhai worked with Mamasaheb Falke in Godhra for the upliftment of scavengers.
1923
Worked with Gulzarilal Nanda in accordance with the great strike by the mill workers in Ahmedabad. Worked as instructor of the spinning-wheel (charkha) among students of Bardoli Swaraj Ashram in South Gujarat with Jugatrambhai Dave.
Invented a new type of charkha which can be operated with legs and can be used for spinning cotton with both hands at a time. Prabhudasbhai called it Magan Charkha in memory of his uncle Maganlal Gandhi.
1929
Prabhudasbhai suffered from Tuberculosis. Gandhi advised him to change the climate and sent him to Almora in the Himalayas. Invited and arranged Gandhi's visit and stay at Almora.
1932
Arrested from Bardoli and was sentenced imprisonment of 6 months which included solitary confinement at Belgaum.
1933
Married with Ambadevi at Mahila Ashram, Wardha, in the presence of Gandhi and Kasturba. Gandhi arranged the life-partner for Prabhudasbhai and organised the wedding, according to ashram tradition. To save expenses and keep the ceremony simple Gandhi did not permit to invite relatives.
The couple started basic constructive activities and working for village development in Uttar Pradesh.
1942
Prabhudasbhai was sent to jail during Quit India movement. He remained under tough conditions at Bareli prison for 2 1/2 years, incl. solitary confinement for several months.
He encountered leaders like Jawharlal Nehru and Govind Vallabh Pant.
1946
Worked in association with the government and voluntary organizations in the rural areas of Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.
He worked also for Vinoba Bhave's Bhoodan movement.
Prabhudasbhai got affectionate and a honourable place among the people due to his simplicity, selfless service, and dedication.
1973
Retired from active public life and returned along with his wife from Uttar Pradesh to Rajkot.
Passed the rest of his life with his grandson Yogesh and his family at Rashtriyashala, an educational institution founded by Mahatma Gandhi.
However, Prabhudasbhai oversaw Gandhi's birthplace at Porbandar - Kirti Mandir - until the end 1970's where he did extensive research on the Gandhi family. The results of the research were published in the Gujarati book Ootabapa no Vadlo in 1982.
1995
Prabhudasbhai Gandhi breathed his last at Gram Swaraj Mandal at Pardi (Dist. Rajkot) at the residence of his daughter Indiraben Himatlal Goda on 6 May 1995.
He led a life as per the ideas laid by Mahatma Gandhi - a life of simplicity and service.
Written work by Prabhudas Gandhi
- Jivan nu Parodh (literally: The Dawn of Life, My Childhood With Mahatma Gandhi) is a book in Gujarati Language on the memoirs of Phoenix Ashram. The book was awarded the Narmad Gold Medal in 1952. Abridged versions have been published in Hindi and English.
Moreover, the following Gujarati books have been published:
- Rural Economics on rural development through khadi
- Ootabapa no Vadlo (literally: Ootabapa's Banyan Tree, The History of the Gandhi Family) incl. a family tree with 1500 members of the Gandhi family. This is the only comprehensive genealogical book in India listing also female family members!
- Ashram Bhajano no Swadhyaya
- Bapu na Jugatrambhai about Gandhi's relation with the Gujarati sarvodaya worker Jugatram Dave
Translated the autobiography of Rajendra Prasad into Gujarati
Numerous articles were published in different periodicals and newspapers
The following manuscripts are still unpublished:
- Life sketch of Harilal Gandhi
- Life sketch of Maganlal Gandhi
- Shrimad Bhagawad Gita Bhashya