Dadhichi’s epic sacrifice spurred Mahatma Gandhi's move to Sabarmati

AHMEDABAD: Such was the influence of Rishi Dadhichi on Mahatma Gandhi that it became one of the chief reasons to spur his move from Kochrab Bungalow, of barrister Jivanlal Desai, to the Sabarmati Ashram, on June 17, 1917.
Bapu originally established his ashram in Kochrab on May 20, 1915. At the time, his gurukul was called the Satyagraha Ashram.
“Gandhiji was always inspired by the sacrifice of Rishi Dadhichi, who had given up his bones so that a spear could be made to kill demons,” says Rizwan Kadri, a city-based historian.“It is believed that the ancient gurukul site of the rishi was very close to the present-day Sabarmati Ashram in the area now called Dudheshwar.”
Kadri says that in July 1917, Gandhian Indulal Yagnik had stated in his Gujarati monthly Navajivan Ane Satya that people could see Rishi Dadhichi’s spirit in Bapu. “While the great sage sacrificed his life for Gods, Gandhiji toiled for the complete freedom, self-reliance, and equality of the people,” Kadri says quoting Yagnik.
According to Kadri, Gandhiji also wanted to carry out various development activities and animal husbandry that required a bigger area. So he relocated the ashram to the banks of the Sabarmati River.
Sabarmati Ashram’s global renown
In 1930, TIME Magazine had named Mahatma Gandhi the Man of the Year. The magazine published an article on how Gandhiji led the Dandi March from the Sabarmati Ashram on Match 12, 1930, and the significant influence that the Salt Satyagraha had on the Indian independence movement. The missions established the ashram as a national monument.