Statue of Mahatma Gandhi
The Statue of Mahatma Gandhi is a public bronze memorial installed on a triangular island along Massachusetts Avenue in Washington, D.C. It was a gift from the Indian Council for Cultural Relations and was dedicated on September 16, 2000, during a state visit by Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, with U.S. President Bill Clinton present. Designed by Kolkata sculptor Gautam Pal, the 2.64-meter statue shows Gandhi in ascetic attire, referencing the 1930 Salt March. It stands on a pedestal of Ilkal ruby granite from Karnataka, within a circular paved plaza, with red granite slabs behind it and a granite seat in front. The statue bears Gandhi’s words: “My life is my message.”
June 2018 © Ted Eytan · CC BY-SA 2.0
March 2007 © Loren · Public domain
October 2005 © Ministry of External Affairs · GODL-India
December 2019 © Planemad · CC0
December 2019 © Planemad · CC0
Identification | |
| Title | Statue of Mahatma Gandhi |
| Type | Public statue |
| Subject | Mahatma Gandhi |
| Also known as | Mahatma Gandhi Memorial |
Location and ownership | |
| U.S. president at the time | Donald Trump |
| Location | A triangular island along Massachusetts Avenue, in front of the Embassy of India, Washington, D.C., United States |
| Indian ambassador to the United States | Taranjit Singh Sandhu |
Creator | |
| Designer | Gautam Pal |
| Designer origin | Kolkata |
Discovery and provenance | |
| Donor | Indian Council for Cultural Relations |
Historical context | |
| Legislative authorization | In 1998, the U.S. Congress passed a bill authorizing the Government of India to establish a Gandhi memorial on federal land in the District of Columbia |
| Dedication context | Dedicated during a state visit by Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, in the presence of U.S. President Bill Clinton |
| Dedication date | 16 September 2000 |
| Historical impetus | Sparked by the 50th anniversary of Indian independence |
Physical characteristics | |
| Height | 2.64 m |
| Pedestal weight | 16 tons |
| Setting | Mounted on a circular plaza paved with gray granite cobblestones |
| Associated elements | Three red granite slabs from Karnataka with inscriptions honoring Gandhi's memory; a red granite bench in front of the statue |
Materials | |
| Pedestal material | Ruby granite from Ilkal, Karnataka |
| Primary material | Bronze |
Appearance | |
| Depiction | Gandhi is shown in ascetic dress, referencing the 1930 Salt March |
Iconography and meaning | |
| Inscription | "My life is my message" |
| Inscription source | Gandhi's reply to a journalist who asked for his message to the world |
History and restoration | |
| Vandalism | Defaced twice, on the night between 2 and 3 June 2020 during the George Floyd protests, and on 12 December 2020 during a separatist Khalistan demonstration |
| Condition after incidents | Destroyed and defaced |
| Response | The Indian Embassy filed a complaint with law enforcement authorities after the June 2020 vandalism |
| Sandhu's description | Called the act "a crime against humanity" |
| Trump's description | Called the defacement of the statue a "disgrace" |
Other | |
| Related work | A similar statue by Gautam Pal was installed in Milwaukee in 2002, also on a red granite pedestal |