Mahatma Gandhi’s story begins in Kathiawar, also known as Saurashtra, a land steeped in mythology and history. It is said that Lord Krishna settled here after his flight from Mathura and established the city of Dwarka, which is today a pilgrimage centre. 

According to the Mahabharata, the Yadavas ruled the entire region between Prabha Patan, home to the famous Somnath temple, and the Girnar Hill just beyond Porbandar. At some stage, they earned the wrath and curse of Lord Krishna, eventually killing themselves in a drunken brawl. From this, we get the term ‘yadavi’ which means fratricidal strife. Gandhi often used to tell this tale in his final days, warning that this is what would happen to India if ethnic fires were not doused.

Muslim, Zoroastrianism, Christian and Sufi influences intermingled to form a culture of tolerance in Kathiawar. In Porbandar, for instance, there used to be a haveli in which the name of Allah was chanted along with that of Ishwar and Rama with Rahim’s. It is in this melting pot that the Gandhis lived and thrived, and where an infant named Mohandas came into the world on October 2, 1869.

Welcome to this conversation between Ashraf Engineer, host our of the All Indians Matter podcast, and Tushar Gandhi, great grandson of the Mahatma, author and peace activist.