Independence Day 2020: Did You Know US Has Most Number of Gandhi Statues Outside India? Here Are 7 Memorials Dedicated to MK Gandhi Across Countries
Mahatma Gandhi led the Indian Independence Movement based on his principles of peace and non-violence. It's his efforts that helped the country out of the clutches of the foreign forces. This also made him popular across nations. As Independence Day 2020 arrives, we bring to you statues of Gandhi which present in different countries.
Independence Day is around the corner and people have begun preparations. The day celebrates the Independence India received the British on August 15, 1947. The freedom came at a big cost that was paid by the people of the land who had to strive to drive out foreign forces from the country. Mahatma Gandhi was the figure who led the Indian Independence Movement based on his principles of peace and non-violence. Even after the country received freedom, Gandhi didn't take rest, but continued to work on various issues prevalent in India. Every year on Independence Day, people remember MK Gandhi's efforts that helped the country out of the clutches of the foreign forces. This also made him popular across nations where his principles were highly revered. As Independence Day 2020 arrives, we bring to you statues of Gandhi which present in different countries. Mahatma Gandhi's Glasses Found in Bristol Auctioneer's Letterbox to Go on Sale in UK.
The US Embassy had once tweeted saying after India, the most number of Gandhi statues are present in the United States. Even though Gandhi never visited the US, the country has quite a lot of Gandhi statues, memorials and busts remembering the great leader and his unique principles based on peace and non-violence. Mahatma Gandhi Quotes on Non-Violence.
1. Indian Embassy, Washington DC
The statue outside Indian Embassy in Washington DC, was dedicated by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in the presence of the then US President Bill Clinton on September 16, 2000, during his state visit to the US. Recently, during the Black Lives Matter protest, miscreants had defaced it.
2. Ariana Park, Geneva, Switzerland
To commemorate the Treaty of Amity, 1948 signed between India and Switzerland, the Indian government gifted them A Gandhi statue on the 60th anniversary of the treaty. The inscription of the statue reads 'Ma vie est mon message', which is French means 'My life is my message'.
3. Memorial Garden, Jinja, Uganda
In 1948, a part of Mahatma Gandhi's ashes were immersed in the Nile River in Jinja. The memorial stands near that place made of bronze.
4. Parliament Square, London, England
The recent sculpture of Mahatma Gandhi was installed in London on March 14, 2015. Made by artist Philip Jackson sculpted the statue, then British Prime Minister David Cameron, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Gandhi's grandson and former West Bengal governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi and actor Amitabh Bachchan were at its unveiling ceremony.
5. Copenhagen, Denmark
The statue of MK Gandhi was given to the Danish government by Indira Gandhi on her visit to the country in 1984. The locals in Denmark installed it in Mahatma Gandhi Park in Copenhagen.
6. Glebe Park, Canberra, Australia
There is a bronze statue of Gandhi in Canberra's Glebe Park, Australia. The country has five sculptures of Gandhi in four cities.
7. Plaza Sicilia, Buenos Aires, Argentina
There is a statue of Gandhi in Plaza Sicilia, Buenos Aires, Argentina. On 15th Indian Independence Day, the Indian government had gifted the statue, made by Ram Vanji Sutar, to Argentina.
What made Mahatma Gandhi famous is not just his participation in India's freedom from the British colonisation, but for teaching the world about non-violence or ahimsa. Gandhi is remembered across countries as an epitome of peace even today.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 12, 2020 03:47 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).