AFTER VIDYA: GANDHI’S FIRST LETTERS OF CONSOLATION, 1944
A group of eight telegrams, letters, postcards, and notes in English and Hindi, including autograph communications by Mahatma Gandhi, addressed principally to Anand T Hingorani and K B Kewalramani between 13 May and 16 October 1944, written after the death of Anand Hingorani's wife, Vidya.
Comprising:
Telegram No. 47, to Anand T Hingorani, Bombay, 13 May 1944.
Telegram Envelope / Telegram Paper / English / Handwritten / Carbon Black Ink. Gandhi urges Anand not to succumb to loneliness following Vidya's death, reminding him that God remains the eternal companion.
Published in Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Vol. 84, Letter No. 47, p. 53.
Letter No. 286, to Anand T Hingorani, Panchgani, 19 July 1944.
Envelope / Paper / Hindi / Handwritten / Black Ink. Gandhi pays tribute to Vidya's character, describing her as virtuous, self-sacrificing, and possessing a love "as vast as the ocean", while urging Anand to live up to her ideals.
Published in Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Vol. 84, Letter No. 286, p. 213.
Letter No. 574, to Anand T Hingorani, Bombay, 30 September 1944.
Postcard / Hindi / Handwritten / Black Ink. Gandhi invites Anand to Wardha and encourages him to remain peaceful.
Published in Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Vol. 84, Letter No. 574, p. 428.
Note to Anand T Hingorani, Sevagram, 1 October 1944.
Paper / 3 Pages / Reused Paper / English / Handwritten / Blue Pencil / Silence-Day Note / Contemporary Note by Anand T. Hingorani. Upon Anand's arrival at Sevagram Ashram, Gandhi enquires about his journey, accommodation, food, and well-being.
Published in Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Vol. 84, Note to Anand T Hingorani.
Note No. 45, to Anand T Hingorani, Sevagram Ashram, 13 October 1944.
Paper / Reused Paper / Hindi / Handwritten / Black Ink / Reverse Side: Letter in Red Ink. Gandhi reflects upon grief and detachment, urging Anand to look to God.
Published in Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Vol. 85, Letter No. 45, p. 43.
Note No. 53, to Anand T Hingorani, 14 October 1944.
Paper / English / Handwritten / Black Ink. Gandhi interprets Vidya's death as a test of faith and love, asking Hingorani to place his complete trust in God.
Published in Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Vol. 85, Letter No. 53, p. 52.
Note No. 73, to Anand T Hingorani, 16 October 1944.
Paper / Reused Paper / Hindi / Handwritten / Pencil / Reverse Side: Portion of Typed Letter. Gandhi encourages Anand to continue spinning despite his grief, describing the charkha as a source of solace.
Published in Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Vol. 85, Letter No. 73, p. 64.
Letter No. 74, to K B Kewalramani, Sevagram, 16 October 1944.
Paper / Copy Letter / English / Handwritten / Black Ink. Gandhi writes to Vidya's father, describing her as a "priceless girl" and encouraging him to continue God's work to honour her memory.
Published in Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Vol. 85, Letter No. 74, p. 64.
“God Remains Your Companion”: Gandhi’s First Words After Vidya’s Death
Gandhi wrote these letters to Anand Hingorani after the death of his wife, Vidya. They reveal Gandhi's efforts to guide a grieving disciple through loss, while encouraging faith and purposeful action.
In the first telegram, Gandhi rejects loneliness as a final condition, reminding Hingorani that God remains his eternal companion. From the outset, he insists that Hingorani must not let his grief give way to despair.
Several letters preserve Gandhi's own assessment of Vidya. His tribute, dated July 1944, is among the most affectionate references to her in the archive. He praises her sacrifice, her purity of heart, and the breadth of her love, presenting her as someone whose life embodied the values he most admired.
Several Silence Day notes and personal reflections written during Hingorani’s visit to Sevagram in October 1944 show Gandhi encouraging faith and service in the face of grief. He writes that attachment to the dead must give way to devotion to God, and that work remains essential. He also urges Anand to continue spinning the charkha, describing it as a source of comfort for those who suffer.
The final letter, addressed to Vidya's father, K B Kewalramani, extends Gandhi's message beyond Anand to her family. Her memory, he argues, should inspire meaningful action and not sorrow.
“No forlornness permissible. God, our eternal companion.”
“Vidya was a very virtuous woman. She had a golden heart and a keen urge for sacrifice. Her love was as vast as the ocean.”
“Your love is on trial.”
“The charkha is the support and solace of the unhappy and the hungry.”
“Vidya was a priceless girl.”
These letters constitute one of the most intimate meditations on grief anywhere within the Gandhi–Hingorani archive. They provide a personal insight into Gandhi’s response to grief. Throughout the correspondence, he repeatedly encourages faith, work, and service, offering a deeply personal perspective on mourning and remembrance.
NON-EXPORTABLE
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 eight telegrams, letters, postcards, and notes in English and Hindi, including autograph communications by Mahatma Gandhi, addressed principally to Anand T Hingorani and K B Kewalramani between 13 May and 16 October 1944, written after the death of Anand Hingorani's wife, Vidya.
Comprising:
Telegram No. 47, to Anand T Hingorani, Bombay, 13 May 1944.
Telegram Envelope / Telegram Paper / English / Handwritten / Carbon Black Ink. Gandhi urges Anand not to succumb to loneliness following Vidya's death, reminding him that God remains the eternal companion.
Published in Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Vol. 84, Letter No. 47, p. 53.
Letter No. 286, to Anand T Hingorani, Panchgani, 19 July 1944.
Envelope / Paper / Hindi / Handwritten / Black Ink. Gandhi pays tribute to Vidya's character, describing her as virtuous, self-sacrificing, and possessing a love "as vast as the ocean", while urging Anand to live up to her ideals.
Published in Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Vol. 84, Letter No. 286, p. 213.
Letter No. 574, to Anand T Hingorani, Bombay, 30 September 1944.
Postcard / Hindi / Handwritten / Black Ink. Gandhi invites Anand to Wardha and encourages him to remain peaceful.
Published in Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Vol. 84, Letter No. 574, p. 428.
Note to Anand T Hingorani, Sevagram, 1 October 1944.
Paper / 3 Pages / Reused Paper / English / Handwritten / Blue Pencil / Silence-Day Note / Contemporary Note by Anand T. Hingorani. Upon Anand's arrival at Sevagram Ashram, Gandhi enquires about his journey, accommodation, food, and well-being.
Published in Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Vol. 84, Note to Anand T Hingorani.
Note No. 45, to Anand T Hingorani, Sevagram Ashram, 13 October 1944.
Paper / Reused Paper / Hindi / Handwritten / Black Ink / Reverse Side: Letter in Red Ink. Gandhi reflects upon grief and detachment, urging Anand to look to God.
Published in Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Vol. 85, Letter No. 45, p. 43.
Note No. 53, to Anand T Hingorani, 14 October 1944.
Paper / English / Handwritten / Black Ink. Gandhi interprets Vidya's death as a test of faith and love, asking Hingorani to place his complete trust in God.
Published in Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Vol. 85, Letter No. 53, p. 52.
Note No. 73, to Anand T Hingorani, 16 October 1944.
Paper / Reused Paper / Hindi / Handwritten / Pencil / Reverse Side: Portion of Typed Letter. Gandhi encourages Anand to continue spinning despite his grief, describing the charkha as a source of solace.
Published in Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Vol. 85, Letter No. 73, p. 64.
Letter No. 74, to K B Kewalramani, Sevagram, 16 October 1944.
Paper / Copy Letter / English / Handwritten / Black Ink. Gandhi writes to Vidya's father, describing her as a "priceless girl" and encouraging him to continue God's work to honour her memory.
Published in Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Vol. 85, Letter No. 74, p. 64.
“God Remains Your Companion”: Gandhi’s First Words After Vidya’s Death
Gandhi wrote these letters to Anand Hingorani after the death of his wife, Vidya. They reveal Gandhi's efforts to guide a grieving disciple through loss, while encouraging faith and purposeful action.
In the first telegram, Gandhi rejects loneliness as a final condition, reminding Hingorani that God remains his eternal companion. From the outset, he insists that Hingorani must not let his grief give way to despair.
Several letters preserve Gandhi's own assessment of Vidya. His tribute, dated July 1944, is among the most affectionate references to her in the archive. He praises her sacrifice, her purity of heart, and the breadth of her love, presenting her as someone whose life embodied the values he most admired.
Several Silence Day notes and personal reflections written during Hingorani’s visit to Sevagram in October 1944 show Gandhi encouraging faith and service in the face of grief. He writes that attachment to the dead must give way to devotion to God, and that work remains essential. He also urges Anand to continue spinning the charkha, describing it as a source of comfort for those who suffer.
The final letter, addressed to Vidya's father, K B Kewalramani, extends Gandhi's message beyond Anand to her family. Her memory, he argues, should inspire meaningful action and not sorrow.
“No forlornness permissible. God, our eternal companion.”
“Vidya was a very virtuous woman. She had a golden heart and a keen urge for sacrifice. Her love was as vast as the ocean.”
“Your love is on trial.”
“The charkha is the support and solace of the unhappy and the hungry.”
“Vidya was a priceless girl.”
These letters constitute one of the most intimate meditations on grief anywhere within the Gandhi–Hingorani archive. They provide a personal insight into Gandhi’s response to grief. Throughout the correspondence, he repeatedly encourages faith, work, and service, offering a deeply personal perspective on mourning and remembrance.
NON-EXPORTABLE
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.