Kirti Mandir

Let us begin our journey where Gandhi began his. On October 2, 1869, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born in a 3-storey blue haveli in the city of Porbandar, where his father, uncle and grandfather had all been prime ministers to the Jethwa Rajput rulers of the princely state.

The site of Gandhi’s birth, now called Kirti Mandir, has been converted into a small museum about him, with an exhibit of old photographs, some of his very few possessions and a nice library of books either by him or relating to Gandhian philosophy and practice.

The original three storied house is built like a Haveli, purchased by the great grand father of Mahatmaji, Shri Harjivan Raidas Gandhi, some two hundred years before, in the seventeenth century, from a local woman and the upper stories were added over the years. It was this house where Gandhiji's father Karamchand, uncle, Tulsidas and grandfather Uttamchand lived, who had all been Prime Ministers (Dewan) to the Jethwa Rajput rulers of the princely state of Porbandar.

The foundation stone of modern structure and attractive Kirti Mandir was laid in 1947 during the lifetime of Gandhiji by Shree Darbar Gopaldas Desai. The whole credit of constructing this national memorial of Mahatma Gandhiji goes to the famous industrialist, Nanjibahi Kalidas Mehta, who not only initiated the idea to build a memorial but also donated the whole money purchase the ancestral house and also to build new complex called Kirti Mandir.

The memorial was completed in 1950, by which time Gandhiji was no more. The memorial was named Kirti Mandir and then Home Minister, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel inaugurated and declared open this place for public on May 27, 1950. Afterwards this beautiful memorial was handed over to the Central Government of India.
The height of the temple is of 79 feet symbolizes the 79 years of lifespan of Gandhiji. The monument Kirti Mandir is symbol of religious integration of six religions, the architectural elements of Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi temple, Church and Mosque are symbolized at Kirti Mandir integrate, which symbolize Gandhiji’s respect towards all religion.
The whole the architecture of the Kirti Mandir was done by Shri Prushottambhai Mistry, a resident of Porbandar.[1][2] He completed construction within two years of time limit by working for days and night himself.