Situated in a quiet neighbourhood in Mumbai, the quaint Mani Bhavan was once the residence of Mahatma Gandhi when he was in the city. From here he had started his fast for peace when the non-cooperation movement turned violent in November 1921 and he was arrested on its terrace in January 1932. Years later, the two-storey building is ready to greet visitors led by his grandson Arun and great-grandson Tushar Gandhi. It is the site from where the duo will commence the six-day Gandhi tour that will introduce travellers to the Father of the Nation’s incredible journey. “Through the tour we hope to educate people about Gandhian principles and their relevance. The monuments are symbolic of his life,” says Tushar as he draws the itinerary for the tour that includes Mumbai and Kolhapur.

While Tushar is still preparing to retrace his great-grandfather’s footsteps with foreign tourists, there are several tour operators leading groups to locations associated with Gandhi. “He is one of the best known figures in history and generates interest worldwide. Frequent queries from our UK office prompted us to introduce a tour based on Gandhi,” says Akash Bhardwaj, managing director, Nature Trail Tours. The 14-day tour, priced Rs 80,000 per person on twin sharing basis, includes a trip to Mani Bhavan in Mumbai, Gandhi’s birthplace in Porbandar, family home and school in Rajkot, Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad and Dandi. Booking a similar trip through On The Go Tours, another company, costs approximately a lakh.

Travel Bureau International offers a more extensive vacation that stretches to Delhi, Mumbai, Agra and cities across Gujarat. The 18-day/17-night trip, priced Rs 1.3 lakh per person, includes tickets for the sound and light show at Sabarmati Ashram and sightseeing at each place. “Gandhi is the focus but we include other places of interest and reserve some time for shopping,” says Asutosh Sharma, managing partner of Travel Bureau International. The schedule of the tour offered by him was chalked after discussions with historians and he hires local guides to accompany tourists in each city. “They know the place best and share interesting anecdotes,” adds Sharma.

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