5/5 Dnyanesh G. 4 years ago on Google
Sevagram,
originally
Segaon,
is
a
small
village,
located
about
8 km
from Wardha. M.K.
Gandhi set
up
what
eventually
became
an ashram in
the
outskirts
of
the
village.[2] Seth Jamnalal
Bajaj of
Wardha,
a
disciple
of
Gandhi,
made
available
to
the
ashram
about
300
acres
(1.2 km2)
of
land.[3] Near
the
ashram
there
is
a
museum
where
artifacts
of
India's
freedom
struggle
are
preserved.
HistoryEdit
When Gandhi started
his padayatra
(foot
march) in
1930
from Sabarmati
Ashram to
ahmedabad
for
the Salt
Satyagraha,
he
decided
not
to
return
to
Sabarmati
till
India
achieved
independence.
Gandhi
was
imprisoned
for
more
than
two
years.
On
his
release
he
spent
sometime
travelling
around
India.
He
decided
to
make
a
village
in
Central
India
his
headquarters.
He
came
to
Wardha
in
1934,
at
the
invitation
of
his
follower
and
industrialist, Jamnalal
Bajaj and
stayed
in
one
of
the
rooms
at
Jamnalal's
bungalow
(Bajajwadi)[4] at Wardha and
in
the
Prarthana
mandir
of
Mahila
Ashram
for
sometime.[5]
In
April
1936,
Gandhiji
established
his
residence
in
a
village
called
Segaon[6] at
the
outskirts
of
Wardha,
which
he
renamed
as
Sevagram,
which
means
'village
of
service'.
Gandhiji
was
67
years
old
when
he
came
to
Sevagram.
The
small
homes
which
were
built
in
the
ashram
for
Gandhi
and
Kasturba,
and
his
followers
were
similar
to
the
typical
village
homes.[7] The
ashram
employed
some harijans in
the
common
kitchen
to
break
the caste barrier. Vinoba
Bhave's
Param
Dham
Ashram
is
located
on
the
banks
of
the
Dhaam
river
close
by.
Many
decisions
on
important
national
matters
and
movements
were
taken
at
Sevagram.
It
became
the
central
place
for
a
number
of
institutions
for
the
nation
building
activities
devised
by
Gandhiji
to
suit
the
inherent
strength
of
this
country.
Sevagram
is
8 km
from
Wardha
town
in
Maharashtra
and
75 km
from
Nagpur.
In
spite
of
many
practical
difficulties,
Gandhiji
decided
to
settle
here.
Though
he
did
not
have
any
intentions
of
keeping
anybody
with
him
except
his
wife Kasturba,
pressure
of
work
necessitated
more
colleagues
with
him
till
Sevagram
Ashram
became
a
full-fledged
institution.
There
were
no
facilities
at
Sevagram,
not
even
a
post
or
telegraph
office.
The
letters
used
to
be
brought
from
Wardha.
There
was
another
village
in
this
region
named
Shegaon,
made
famous
by
the
residence
of
Saint Gajanan
Maharaj.
So,
Gandhiji's
letters
used
to
get
misdirected.
Therefore,
it
was
decided
in
1940
to
rename
this
village
as
Sevagram[8] or
'the
village
of
service'.
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