Raj Ghat

Raj Ghat is a memorial behind the Red Fort, dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948), the ‘Father of the Nation’, who led India to Independence in 1947, and who was assassinated on 30 January 1948.   Originally it was the name of a historic ghat of Old Delhi.  It is a black marble platform which marks the spot of Mahatma Gandhi’s cremation on the 31 January 1948, the day after his assassination.  The memorial was designed by Vanu G. Bhuta, an American-educated Indian architect, who intended it to reflect the simplicity of the Mahatma’s life. It is uncovered, with an eternal flame that burns continuously at one end.

A remembrance ceremony is held every Friday at Raj Ghat, along with the prayer sessions held on Gandhi’s birth and death anniversaries.  Foreign dignitaries visiting India pay respect to Gandhi by laying flowers on the platform, as The Queen did on her State Visit in 1997.