Image: Sabarmati Ashram, Ahmedabad. Wikimedia Commons.
Gandhi’s South African experiments in communal living were carried into India through the establishment of ashrams. The first was founded at Kochrab near Ahmedabad in 1915, followed by the move to the Sabarmati riverbank in 1917.
Kochrab Ashram
Gandhi established the Kochrab Ashram on 25 May 1915 with the support of his associates. The community was intended to be a place for collective work, prayer, discipline and service.
The move to Sabarmati
In 1917 the ashram moved to a larger site on the banks of the Sabarmati River. It became one of the most important centres of Gandhi’s work in India.
Life at the ashram
Residents participated in spinning, farming, sanitation, education and other forms of manual work. The community included people from different social and religious backgrounds.
A base for national campaigns
Sabarmati Ashram became closely associated with Gandhi’s campaigns, including Champaran, Kheda, Non-Cooperation and the Salt March.
Why the ashram mattered
The ashram connected Gandhi’s personal experiments with a wider programme of social service and political mobilisation.
Explore the Gandhi Heritage Portal and NewsNationOnline’s Phoenix Settlement feature.
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