Across a group of cottages called Hridaya Kunj , my breathe almost stopped. Here I was standing at Gandhi ji’s cottage, where he once lived. From where he used to go to his morning prayers led by Baa and Manu. The weapon that brought freedom to India -his Charkha which he used to spin lay silent, with his cushion seat vacant. I paid homage to the great soul. Behind his cottage was his wife Kasturba’s small cottage and a guest room. In another room adjoining these cottages his precious possessions – spectacles, walking stick, his mighty pen , stone plates and spoons in which he ate, pitcher, etc., were displayed in the window gallery.

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Outside in the verandah, I could see two of his followers, interacting with the visitors and spinning the wheel side by side, reminding of Bapu’s words – ‘work is worship and time is money’. I sat beside sister Girija (one of the followers). She was showing how the raw cotton was gently drawn into fine thread on the moving wheel and how this thin, soft, delicate thread was made into thick course fibre. I also tried to spin, but the thread broke each time as probably my grip was too firm. I collected samples of spun and unspun yarn for studying under foldscope from sister Girija.

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I was taken back to the pre-historic times, as the wheel moved. It was a divine experience. I tried to capture all the moments in the pictures clicked there. It was the most memorable visit of my life. As I came out of the Ashram, I saw the famous Dandi Bridge – the oldest bridge still standing there above the Sabarmati river from where I saw the sunset of the day.

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