Last Moments of Mahatma: A Photographic Tribute at Sevagram Ashram
On the eve of the 78th anniversary of the martyrdom of Mahatma Gandhi, the Sri Jamnalal Bajaj Memorial Library and Research Centre for Gandhian Studies, under the Sevagram Ashram Pratishthan, curated a special visual presentation titled “Last Moments of Mahatma.”
Conceived as an educational tribute to be screened in schools, universities, and study centres, the presentation brings together rare and historically significant photographs of Gandhi taken a day before his assassination, on the day of his death, during the funeral procession, and at the immersion of his ashes in the Ganga.
The presentation also documents how newspapers and broadcasters across the world—including in India and Pakistan—reported the assassination of the Mahatma.
Most of the photographs featured in the presentation were taken by the legendary French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson, whose images of Gandhi’s final days remain among the most powerful visual records of the 20th century. Cartier-Bresson documented Gandhi shortly before his assassination, his body lying in state at Birla House, and the immense funeral procession that followed—images that shaped global memory of the Mahatma’s final moments.
The presentation was screened on January 30, 2026, at the Seminar Hall of the Library and Research Centre, ahead of an international delegation from Gandhi International, France, which was visiting Sevagram Ashram for a five-day immersion programme on Gandhian thought and practice.
The delegation, comprising eight members, was led by noted Gandhian thinker and peace activist Louis Campana, President of Gandhi International and the Shanti Association, France. Campana is a direct disciple of Lanza del Vasto, who had visited Sevagram Ashram in 1937 and spent several months with Gandhi. Campana is also a recipient of the Jamnalal Bajaj International Award for his work in promoting Gandhian values outside India.
The group included Margarete Hiller of Germany, Director of the worldwide Communities of the Ark movement, and Christophe Grigri, a specialist in non-violent communication and coordinator with Gandhi International. Members of the delegation reflected on how Cartier-Bresson attained international recognition after his photographs of Gandhi’s last days were published and widely broadcast in France and across the world.
The screening was not open to the general public, as all public programmes at Sevagram Ashram had been cancelled following the demise of the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra. However, select associates and staff members of the Ashram were present.
To ensure wider educational outreach, the Library and Research Centre has produced a printed archival version of the 40-slide presentation. This documentation is now preserved in the Library’s archives and is available to educational institutions interested in organising their own screenings. Several institutions across India have already made use of this material to commemorate Mahatma Gandhi and introduce students to the historical significance of his final days.
