Gandhi memorial to open on Oct 2

Coimbatore: After an exhausting day addressing public gatherings and meeting national leaders in Coimbatore on February 6, 1934, Mahatma Gandhi arrived at a tiled-roof house belonging to the GD Naidu family at Podanur at 11pm, and fell asleep for two hours on a simple cot placed in the open.
Today, the house has been restored as the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial. It will be thrown open to the public on October 2 to mark Gandhiji’s 153rd birth anniversary.
“Dr T S Avinashilingam Chettiar, founder of Ramakrishna Mission Vidyalaya, was the leader coordinating the freedom movement in this region. Upon Gandhiji’s visit to Coimbatore, he helped the Mahatma reach GD Naidu’s House at Podanur to stay there at night, since it was located close to the Podanur Junction. In his autobiography, Avinashilingam ayya wrote that Gandhiji slept on a simple cot in the open. There was no power supply either,” recalled B K Krishnaraj Vanavarayar, chairman of Kumaraguru Institutions and Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan.
Under the guidance of Vanavarayar, chairman of GD Group G D Gopal embarked upon a noble initiative to put up a memorial for the Mahatma, by restoring the house.
The work, that began full-fledged last year, concluded recently and the memorial is ready to be inaugurated by Padma Bhushan Krishnammal Jagannathan on October 2.
The aim behind restoring such a memorial for Gandhiji is to embrace the life and message of the great man and make it available for future generations, Vanavarayar said.
“Many people are not aware that Coimbatore shares a special bond with the Mahatma. Gandhiji visited Coimbatore thrice, and the last time he came here was in 1934. It was during this time, he made a historic statement that he will not meet with natural death, and will die either by a bullet or by a hangman.”
The memorial shall encompass four zones that include an exhibition showcasing the replica of the artefacts used by the Mahatma, a photo gallery illustrating his life and activities, a library that has rare books and literature on Mahatma and letters of Mahatma to world leaders, and a semi-open conference space.