Gandhi Museum - Madurai Tourism

The Gandhi Museum of Madurai was established in the loving memory of the Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Nation. It holds great historical importance and was set up by the Gandhi Memorial Trust after the assassination of Bapu in 1948. The museum has been set up in the Palace of Rani Mangammal of Nayak Dynasty. It was also at one point occupied by the Nawabs- the muslim rulers. The palace was donated by the Tamil Nadu Government to the trust in 1955, to commemorate the contribution of Gandhi to India. Madurai was one among the seven locations in India that were chosen by the Gandhi Memorial Trust to set up a Museum.

A little known fact: It was in Madurai, during his visit in 1921, that Gandhiji decided to give up his normal dressing style, and took to the dhoti. Also, Gandhiji visited the Meenakshi Temple in 1946. Following this, Harijans were let allowed to enter the temple for the first time.

Inside the museum premises, The picture Gallery presents a visual biography of Gandhiji. India’s Freedom Struggle is illustrated in an exhibition at the entry to the museum. There are many handicrafts donated by the states of Tamilnadu, Mysore, Andhra and Kerala. Gandhiji’s photos, quotations, paintings etc are also on display in this museum. Many of his letters are photocopied and exhibited here. ”The Hall of Relics” within the museum displays some of Gandhiji’s personal belongings. Some of these are original and some are replica. There is a section of Khadi and Village Industries on the ground floor of the museum which exhibits some of the Village industries Gandhiji revived. There is an open-air theatre which can accommodate about 8000 people. Public meetings, weekly film shows and many cultural programmes are held in this theatre. There are even Yoga and Naturopathy classes conducted here. The Gandhi Museum is an institution by itself. The there is “Gandhi Kutir”, a replica of Gandhiji’s hut in Sevagram. There is a large library which houses books by Gandhiji among other literature.

Timings: 10.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m. 2.00 p.m. to 5.45 p.m. Open on all days.