RECOVERY, RAMANAMA AND FAITH: GANDHI’S LETTERS DURING THE YERAVDA FAST, 1932
A group of four letters addressed to Vidya Hingorani between September and December 1932, written from Yeravda Mandir Prison during and immediately following one of the most physically demanding periods of Gandhi's imprisonment, comprising autograph letters signed "Bapu" and concerning health, recovery, spiritual reassurance, family welfare, and the sustaining power of faith during illness.
Comprising:
Letter No. 128, to Vidya Hingorani, Yeravda Mandir, 19 September 1932.
Autograph letter signed "Bapu"; handwritten in purple ink on paper; in Hindi. Written during Gandhi's historic fast against the Communal Award, the letter offers reassurance concerning health and wellbeing while reflecting upon faith and spiritual fortitude during periods of physical suffering.
Published in Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Vol. 57, Letter No. 128, p. 79.
Letter No. 274, to Vidya Hingorani, Yeravda Mandir, 2 October 1932.
Autograph letter signed "Bapu"; handwritten in purple ink on paper; in Hindi. Gandhi discusses recovery, family welfare, and the importance of maintaining courage and serenity amidst illness and uncertainty.
Published in Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Vol. 57, Letter No. 274, p. 157.
Letter No. 492, to Vidya Hingorani, Yeravda Mandir, 25 October 1932.
Autograph letter signed "Bapu"; handwritten in black ink on paper; in Hindi. Gandhi continues his guidance regarding health and emotional resilience, emphasising inner peace and reliance upon faith rather than fear.
Published in Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Vol. 57, Letter No. 492, p. 280.
Letter No. 249, to Vidya Hingorani, Yeravda Mandir, 11 December 1932.
Autograph letter signed "Bapu"; handwritten in black ink on paper; in Hindi. Gandhi offers further reassurance concerning health and domestic welfare, urging calmness, trust, and spiritual discipline during periods of difficulty.
Published in Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Vol. 58, Letter No. 249, p. 180.
Together four autograph letters signed "Bapu", handwritten in Hindi in purple and black ink and written from Yeravda Mandir Prison between September and December 1932, document Gandhi's continuing concern for Vidya Hingorani's health and well-being during a period that coincided with his own fast, imprisonment, and recurring physical weakness.
Healing Through Faith: Gandhi, Illness and the Power of Ramanama
These letters were written during a period in which Gandhi's own health had become a matter of international attention. In September 1932, while imprisoned at Yeravda Jail, Gandhi undertook the historic fast that culminated in the Poona Pact, an event that profoundly affected both his physical condition and the political life of India. Yet the present correspondence reveals a strikingly different perspective: not Gandhi the national leader, but Gandhi the family elder continuing to reassure and guide members of the Hingorani family.
Addressed to Vidya Hingorani, the letters repeatedly return to questions of health, courage, and emotional steadiness. Gandhi urges her not to be distressed by reports of his illness, reassures her regarding his gradual recovery, and enquires with characteristic concern about her own wellbeing and that of Anand. The tone throughout is calm, affectionate, and practical, reflecting his conviction that anxiety itself could become an obstacle to healing.
A recurring theme is the role of faith in confronting physical suffering. Gandhi's advice consistently directs Vidya towards serenity rather than fear and towards spiritual confidence rather than uncertainty. The correspondence echoes a broader principle found throughout his writings: that true recovery involves not merely the restoration of the body but the cultivation of inner strength. The letters therefore provide a valuable insight into the relationship between health, prayer, and self-discipline within Gandhi's thought.
The group also illustrates the continuity of Gandhi's personal relationships during periods of national crisis. Even while recovering from a fast that had captured worldwide attention, he remained attentive to the concerns of individual correspondents, maintaining the intimate networks of guidance and encouragement that formed an essential part of his daily life.
“Do not be distressed by my illness; instead rejoice.”
Viewed together, these letters reveal the remarkable consistency between Gandhi's public philosophy and private conduct. At a moment when much of India was concerned for his survival, Gandhi himself sought to calm the anxieties of others, transforming his own suffering into an occasion for reassurance and instruction. The correspondence therefore offers more than a record of recovery: it provides a rare glimpse of how Gandhi lived the principles he preached, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to faith, composure, and service even when confronting physical weakness himself. In doing so, the letters illuminate the deeply personal dimension of Gandhian resilience and show how, for those within his circle, moments of national history were experienced through the intimate medium of a handwritten blessing from "Bapu".
This lot will be shipped in "as is" condition. For further details, please refer to the images of individual lots as a reference for the condition of each lot.
A group of four letters addressed to Vidya Hingorani between September and December 1932, written from Yeravda Mandir Prison during and immediately following one of the most physically demanding periods of Gandhi's imprisonment, comprising autograph letters signed "Bapu" and concerning health, recovery, spiritual reassurance, family welfare, and the sustaining power of faith during illness.
Comprising:
Letter No. 128, to Vidya Hingorani, Yeravda Mandir, 19 September 1932.
Autograph letter signed "Bapu"; handwritten in purple ink on paper; in Hindi. Written during Gandhi's historic fast against the Communal Award, the letter offers reassurance concerning health and wellbeing while reflecting upon faith and spiritual fortitude during periods of physical suffering.
Published in Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Vol. 57, Letter No. 128, p. 79.
Letter No. 274, to Vidya Hingorani, Yeravda Mandir, 2 October 1932.
Autograph letter signed "Bapu"; handwritten in purple ink on paper; in Hindi. Gandhi discusses recovery, family welfare, and the importance of maintaining courage and serenity amidst illness and uncertainty.
Published in Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Vol. 57, Letter No. 274, p. 157.
Letter No. 492, to Vidya Hingorani, Yeravda Mandir, 25 October 1932.
Autograph letter signed "Bapu"; handwritten in black ink on paper; in Hindi. Gandhi continues his guidance regarding health and emotional resilience, emphasising inner peace and reliance upon faith rather than fear.
Published in Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Vol. 57, Letter No. 492, p. 280.
Letter No. 249, to Vidya Hingorani, Yeravda Mandir, 11 December 1932.
Autograph letter signed "Bapu"; handwritten in black ink on paper; in Hindi. Gandhi offers further reassurance concerning health and domestic welfare, urging calmness, trust, and spiritual discipline during periods of difficulty.
Published in Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Vol. 58, Letter No. 249, p. 180.
Together four autograph letters signed "Bapu", handwritten in Hindi in purple and black ink and written from Yeravda Mandir Prison between September and December 1932, document Gandhi's continuing concern for Vidya Hingorani's health and well-being during a period that coincided with his own fast, imprisonment, and recurring physical weakness.
Healing Through Faith: Gandhi, Illness and the Power of Ramanama
These letters were written during a period in which Gandhi's own health had become a matter of international attention. In September 1932, while imprisoned at Yeravda Jail, Gandhi undertook the historic fast that culminated in the Poona Pact, an event that profoundly affected both his physical condition and the political life of India. Yet the present correspondence reveals a strikingly different perspective: not Gandhi the national leader, but Gandhi the family elder continuing to reassure and guide members of the Hingorani family.
Addressed to Vidya Hingorani, the letters repeatedly return to questions of health, courage, and emotional steadiness. Gandhi urges her not to be distressed by reports of his illness, reassures her regarding his gradual recovery, and enquires with characteristic concern about her own wellbeing and that of Anand. The tone throughout is calm, affectionate, and practical, reflecting his conviction that anxiety itself could become an obstacle to healing.
A recurring theme is the role of faith in confronting physical suffering. Gandhi's advice consistently directs Vidya towards serenity rather than fear and towards spiritual confidence rather than uncertainty. The correspondence echoes a broader principle found throughout his writings: that true recovery involves not merely the restoration of the body but the cultivation of inner strength. The letters therefore provide a valuable insight into the relationship between health, prayer, and self-discipline within Gandhi's thought.
The group also illustrates the continuity of Gandhi's personal relationships during periods of national crisis. Even while recovering from a fast that had captured worldwide attention, he remained attentive to the concerns of individual correspondents, maintaining the intimate networks of guidance and encouragement that formed an essential part of his daily life.
“Do not be distressed by my illness; instead rejoice.”
Viewed together, these letters reveal the remarkable consistency between Gandhi's public philosophy and private conduct. At a moment when much of India was concerned for his survival, Gandhi himself sought to calm the anxieties of others, transforming his own suffering into an occasion for reassurance and instruction. The correspondence therefore offers more than a record of recovery: it provides a rare glimpse of how Gandhi lived the principles he preached, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to faith, composure, and service even when confronting physical weakness himself. In doing so, the letters illuminate the deeply personal dimension of Gandhian resilience and show how, for those within his circle, moments of national history were experienced through the intimate medium of a handwritten blessing from "Bapu".
This lot will be shipped in "as is" condition. For further details, please refer to the images of individual lots as a reference for the condition of each lot.