Place where he stayed for 11 days not known to many in Agra
AGRA : The Gandhi Smarak, a place in Agra where Mahatma Gandhi spent 11 days for medical treatment, is not a known destination here. The ‘neglected memorial’ is now home to uninvited guests like rag pickers and other encroachers. Gandhiji stayed here in 1929 while being under treatment of an ayurvedic doctor. Later, the place was converted into a memorial to pay tribute to the Father of the Nation.
However, the memorial was renovated after the efforts of the then commissioner (Agra) Pradeep Bhatnagar, his wife Sangeeta and Gandhians in the city.
The Gandhi Smarak is close to Itmadud-Daulah Tomb and visitors can have a fascinating view of river Yamuna from here. “Agra is lucky to have a place where the Father of the Nation came and lived for some days. But most of the people are unaware about it, as it lies in a narrow lane encroached by locals,” said Atiq Akhtar, a resident of Agra.
“The memorial is also not maintained properly,” he added. “Once I visited this place with my friends. I was amazed by its ambience – the peaceful atmosphere and the view of the Yamuna from here. The soothing architecture of the memorial is captivating,” said Atiq.
“I have read about the memorial in newspapers and on the Internet, but have not visited it. I wanted to take school children for an educational tour, but due to lack of connectivity, I dropped the idea,” said Kanchan Bisht, a teacher.
Monika Sharma, a government approved tour guide, shared: “Tourists ask me about this place, but I avoid taking them to the memorial, as the passage is not that clear and has no signboards.”
“There should be proper information about the memorial near Itmad-ud-Daulah so that visitors don’t have problems reaching here,” she added.
THE MEMORIAL WAS RENOVATED AFTER THE EFFORTS OF THE THEN COMMISSIONER (AGRA) PRADEEP BHATNAGAR, HIS WIFE SANGEETA AND GANDHIANS IN THE CITY.