Pune Railway stn exhibition captures Mahatma Gandhi's train journeys

Though opposed to the industrial economy, Mahatma Gandhi had a long association with one potent symbol of industrialization: railways. It was his preferred mode of traveling when he crisscrossed the country during the freedom struggle.

Gandhi's rail journey

A photo exhibition on Gandhi's rail journeys would be held at the Pune railway station on October 2, the Mahatma's 150th birth anniversary. "We have received photographs from the Maharashtra Gandhi Smarak Nidhi (also called 'Gandhi Bhavan') on the theme of 'Gandhi and Railway'. These photos depict moments from his various rail journeys," said a railway official.

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The exhibition, to be held on the station premises, will be open for the public, he said. The photographs have been collected by Nitin Shastri, a tour operator by profession. Shastri said he is an ardent collector of photographs of Gandhi and of events during the freedom struggle.

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The photographs show Gandhi collecting money for the Harijan Fund on the way to Pune, alighting from the train as Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel waits for him, taking a nap during a journey in South India, addressing a crowd on the platform at the Bezawada railway station, playing with Girdharlal Kriplani's child inside a train compartment. Shastri said he has a collection over 2,000 photographs including some rare pictures of Gandhi.

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"My objective is to take Gandhi to the young generation through these photos," he said. Another photo exhibition will be held at Gandhi Bhavan in the city for seven days starting from October 2, Shastri said.

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