Gandhi Smriti

Gandhi Smriti, formerly Birla House, is a museum in New Delhi where Mahatma Gandhi spent his last 144 days before his assassination on January 30, 1948. The museum houses photographs, sculptures, paintings, and personal belongings of Gandhi, preserving the room where he lived and the prayer ground where he was assassinated.

Planning your visit

Gandhi Smriti is the house where Gandhi was killed. Formerly Birla House, the Delhi mansion of the industrialist family who hosted him, it was where he spent the last 144 days of his life, and on 30 January 1948 he was walking to the evening prayer meeting in the garden when Nathuram Godse shot him three times at close range.

The room he occupied is preserved as he left it: a mattress on the floor, a low writing desk, his spinning wheel, spectacles, sandals and walking stick. Concrete footsteps set into the lawn trace his final walk from the house to the prayer ground, ending at the Martyr's Column marking the spot where he fell. Following them in silence is what most visitors find affecting, more than any display.

The museum galleries cover his life, the independence movement, and satyagraha as a method, with photographs, sculptures, paintings and multimedia. An interactive section aimed at younger visitors was added later.

Admission is free, and it closes on Mondays. Allow ninety minutes. It sits in central Delhi, easily combined with other sites. Bookable options include guided museum experiences. Current availability is shown below.