THE NAMING OF MAHADEV
A pair of two letters addressed to Vidya Hingorani between November 1932 and January 1933 concerning communal tensions in Sindh, domestic responsibility, faith, motherhood, and the naming of Anand and Vidya Hingorani's first child, Mahadev.
Comprising:
Letter No. 560, to Vidya Hingorani, Yeravda Mandir, 2 November 1932.
Paper; front and back; Hindi; dictated and handwritten in purple ink; autograph letter signed "Bapu".
A significant letter concerning communal tensions in Sindh and the responsibilities of personal conduct during periods of unrest. Gandhi urges Vidya to continue performing her duties without concern for results, invoking the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita and emphasising faith, serenity and cheerfulness as means of influencing those around her. He further reflects upon Anand's unhappiness, observing that the key to happiness lies partly in his own hands and partly in hers.
Published in Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Vol. 57, Letter No. 560, p. 319.
Letter No. 169, to Vidya Hingorani, 25 January 1933.
Paper; Hindi; handwritten in black ink; autograph letter signed "Bapu"; concerning the naming of the child Mahadev.
One of the most important family letters in the archive. Gandhi comments upon Vidya's pregnancy and the recent birth of her son. He suggests that the child be named Mahadev, after his close associate and secretary Mahadev Desai, because their birthdays coincided. The letter preserves the earliest documentary record of the naming of Anand's and Vidya's son and reveals Gandhi's direct involvement in one of the most significant milestones in the family's life.
Published in Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Vol. 59, Letter No. 169, p. 165.
Two autograph letters signed "Bapu", written in Hindi between November 1932 and January 1933, document Gandhi's guidance to Vidya Hingorani during a period marked by communal tension, family responsibility, motherhood, and the birth of the child Mahadev.
Gandhi, Vidya Hingorani and the Naming of Mahadev
This pair of letters offers a revealing insight into Gandhi's role within the private lives of those who formed part of his close circle of associates. Written less than three months apart, they bring together spiritual guidance and personal affection, preserving an episode of particular significance within the Gandhi–Hingorani archive.
The earlier letter, addressed to Vidya Hingorani in November 1932, reflects Gandhi's continuing concern for the moral and spiritual wellbeing of those closest to him. He encourages reflection upon the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita, emphasising the cultivation of inner calm, self-control and devotion. Like many of Gandhi's personal letters, the communication reveals the extent to which he viewed spiritual discipline as a practical guide for daily life.
The second letter, written to Anand Hingorani in January 1933, possesses a markedly different character. Responding to news of the birth of a son, Gandhi enters the intimate sphere of family life and offers a suggestion that would become a lasting part of the Hingorani family's history. He proposes that the child be named “Mahadev”, after Mahadev Desai, his trusted secretary, confidant and one of the most important figures within the Gandhian movement.
The significance of this gesture extends far beyond the naming. Throughout Gandhi's life, Mahadev Desai occupied a uniquely important position as interpreter, organiser, diarist and companion. To bestow that name upon Anand and Vidya's child was both an expression of affection and a symbolic act linking the next generation to one of the central relationships within Gandhi's own world.
Unlike Gandhi's formal political correspondence, these letters reveal him as a family elder, counsellor and friend. They reflect the close personal relationships he maintained with Anand and Vidya Hingorani, founded on shared commitments to service, simplicity and faith.
“Since the child’s birthday coincides with Mahadev's, let us call him Mahadev.”
Within the present archive, these letters occupy a distinctive place. Gandhi's participation in naming Anand and Vidya's son reflects the exceptional closeness of his relationship with the Hingorani family. In proposing the name "Mahadev", he honoured the memory of Mahadev Desai while ensuring that it endured within the life of a family that had become deeply connected to his own.
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 pair of two letters addressed to Vidya Hingorani between November 1932 and January 1933 concerning communal tensions in Sindh, domestic responsibility, faith, motherhood, and the naming of Anand and Vidya Hingorani's first child, Mahadev.
Comprising:
Letter No. 560, to Vidya Hingorani, Yeravda Mandir, 2 November 1932.
Paper; front and back; Hindi; dictated and handwritten in purple ink; autograph letter signed "Bapu".
A significant letter concerning communal tensions in Sindh and the responsibilities of personal conduct during periods of unrest. Gandhi urges Vidya to continue performing her duties without concern for results, invoking the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita and emphasising faith, serenity and cheerfulness as means of influencing those around her. He further reflects upon Anand's unhappiness, observing that the key to happiness lies partly in his own hands and partly in hers.
Published in Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Vol. 57, Letter No. 560, p. 319.
Letter No. 169, to Vidya Hingorani, 25 January 1933.
Paper; Hindi; handwritten in black ink; autograph letter signed "Bapu"; concerning the naming of the child Mahadev.
One of the most important family letters in the archive. Gandhi comments upon Vidya's pregnancy and the recent birth of her son. He suggests that the child be named Mahadev, after his close associate and secretary Mahadev Desai, because their birthdays coincided. The letter preserves the earliest documentary record of the naming of Anand's and Vidya's son and reveals Gandhi's direct involvement in one of the most significant milestones in the family's life.
Published in Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Vol. 59, Letter No. 169, p. 165.
Two autograph letters signed "Bapu", written in Hindi between November 1932 and January 1933, document Gandhi's guidance to Vidya Hingorani during a period marked by communal tension, family responsibility, motherhood, and the birth of the child Mahadev.
Gandhi, Vidya Hingorani and the Naming of Mahadev
This pair of letters offers a revealing insight into Gandhi's role within the private lives of those who formed part of his close circle of associates. Written less than three months apart, they bring together spiritual guidance and personal affection, preserving an episode of particular significance within the Gandhi–Hingorani archive.
The earlier letter, addressed to Vidya Hingorani in November 1932, reflects Gandhi's continuing concern for the moral and spiritual wellbeing of those closest to him. He encourages reflection upon the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita, emphasising the cultivation of inner calm, self-control and devotion. Like many of Gandhi's personal letters, the communication reveals the extent to which he viewed spiritual discipline as a practical guide for daily life.
The second letter, written to Anand Hingorani in January 1933, possesses a markedly different character. Responding to news of the birth of a son, Gandhi enters the intimate sphere of family life and offers a suggestion that would become a lasting part of the Hingorani family's history. He proposes that the child be named “Mahadev”, after Mahadev Desai, his trusted secretary, confidant and one of the most important figures within the Gandhian movement.
The significance of this gesture extends far beyond the naming. Throughout Gandhi's life, Mahadev Desai occupied a uniquely important position as interpreter, organiser, diarist and companion. To bestow that name upon Anand and Vidya's child was both an expression of affection and a symbolic act linking the next generation to one of the central relationships within Gandhi's own world.
Unlike Gandhi's formal political correspondence, these letters reveal him as a family elder, counsellor and friend. They reflect the close personal relationships he maintained with Anand and Vidya Hingorani, founded on shared commitments to service, simplicity and faith.
“Since the child’s birthday coincides with Mahadev's, let us call him Mahadev.”
Within the present archive, these letters occupy a distinctive place. Gandhi's participation in naming Anand and Vidya's son reflects the exceptional closeness of his relationship with the Hingorani family. In proposing the name "Mahadev", he honoured the memory of Mahadev Desai while ensuring that it endured within the life of a family that had become deeply connected to his own.
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.