Important Notice

An imaginary sketch print depicting the midnight arrest of Mahatma Gandhi at Karadi near Dandi, accompanied by a handwritten eyewitness recollection by Anand T. Hingorani, India, relating to the events of 5 May 1930.

Printed sketch after a composition by Vinayak S. Masoji, accompanied by an autograph manuscript note in English by Anand T. Hingorani describing Gandhi’s arrest shortly after the Salt Satyagraha. Additional annotations in Gujarati beneath.

MIDNIGHT AT KARADI: Anand Hingorani’s First-Hand Account of Gandhi’s Arrest

A rare and historically important Gandhian artefact combining visual interpretation, eyewitness testimony, and personal recollection surrounding one of the defining episodes of India’s freedom movement – the midnight arrest of Mahatma Gandhi at Karadi near Dandi on 5 May 1930 following the Salt Satyagraha.

The lot comprises an “imaginary picture” or commemorative sketch depicting Gandhi’s arrest, accompanied by an extraordinary handwritten narrative by Anand T. Hingorani, one of Gandhi’s close disciples and associates, who was personally present during the incident. The manuscript transforms the object from mere commemorative imagery into a direct eyewitness-linked historical testimony.

Particularly remarkable is the immediacy and intimacy of Anand’s account. Written entirely in capital letters, the note preserves a first-person recollection of the tense moments surrounding Gandhi’s arrest:

“I WAS THE ONLY ONE LYING ON A BENCH BESIDE HIS BED WHEN THE POLICE CAME AND IMMEDIATELY ENCIRCLED THE TWO OF US.

AFTER A FEW MINUTES, OTHERS ALSO WERE ALLOWED TO COME INSIDE THE CIRCLE.”

The narrative continues with a description of the solemn devotional atmosphere preceding the arrest:

“AFTER PRAYER AND SINGING OF BHAJANS' FAVOURITE BHAJAN ‘VAISHNAV JAN’ HE WAS TAKEN AWAY IN A POLICE VAN.”

Along the left margin, Anand further emphasises the authenticity of the recollection with the inscription:

“I HAVE GIVEN FULL DETAILS IN MY ARTICLE, 'GANDHIJI'S MIDNIGHT ARREST', IN YOUNG INDIA.”

The manuscript explicitly identifies the image as an “IMAGINARY PICTURE", acknowledging that the visual component functions not as documentary reportage but as a memory-driven reconstruction shaped through lived experience and emotional remembrance.

The arrest at Karadi marked a pivotal moment within the Civil Disobedience Movement. Following the immense symbolic success of the Dandi March and Gandhi’s open defiance of the British salt laws, the colonial administration moved swiftly to suppress the movement through arrests and imprisonment. Gandhi’s detention triggered nationwide protests and intensified international attention toward India’s non-violent struggle for independence.

Material directly connected to the Dandi campaign remains among the most historically significant categories of Gandhian memorabilia. The present example is especially important because it preserves not only the image of a historic event, but also the personal voice of a participant who stood beside Gandhi at the moment of arrest. Anand Hingorani later became one of the principal preservers, editors, and custodians of Gandhian writings and memory, making documents of this deeply personal nature exceptionally rare.

Through Anand Hingorani's recollection, the arrest ceases to be an episode in history and becomes a lived experience remembered by an eyewitness who stood beside Gandhi when the police arrived. Few surviving documents place the viewer closer to a defining moment of the freedom struggle.

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.

An imaginary sketch print depicting the midnight arrest of Mahatma Gandhi at Karadi near Dandi, accompanied by a handwritten eyewitness recollection by Anand T. Hingorani, India, relating to the events of 5 May 1930.

Printed sketch after a composition by Vinayak S. Masoji, accompanied by an autograph manuscript note in English by Anand T. Hingorani describing Gandhi’s arrest shortly after the Salt Satyagraha. Additional annotations in Gujarati beneath.

MIDNIGHT AT KARADI: Anand Hingorani’s First-Hand Account of Gandhi’s Arrest

A rare and historically important Gandhian artefact combining visual interpretation, eyewitness testimony, and personal recollection surrounding one of the defining episodes of India’s freedom movement – the midnight arrest of Mahatma Gandhi at Karadi near Dandi on 5 May 1930 following the Salt Satyagraha.

The lot comprises an “imaginary picture” or commemorative sketch depicting Gandhi’s arrest, accompanied by an extraordinary handwritten narrative by Anand T. Hingorani, one of Gandhi’s close disciples and associates, who was personally present during the incident. The manuscript transforms the object from mere commemorative imagery into a direct eyewitness-linked historical testimony.

Particularly remarkable is the immediacy and intimacy of Anand’s account. Written entirely in capital letters, the note preserves a first-person recollection of the tense moments surrounding Gandhi’s arrest:

“I WAS THE ONLY ONE LYING ON A BENCH BESIDE HIS BED WHEN THE POLICE CAME AND IMMEDIATELY ENCIRCLED THE TWO OF US.

AFTER A FEW MINUTES, OTHERS ALSO WERE ALLOWED TO COME INSIDE THE CIRCLE.”

The narrative continues with a description of the solemn devotional atmosphere preceding the arrest:

“AFTER PRAYER AND SINGING OF BHAJANS' FAVOURITE BHAJAN ‘VAISHNAV JAN’ HE WAS TAKEN AWAY IN A POLICE VAN.”

Along the left margin, Anand further emphasises the authenticity of the recollection with the inscription:

“I HAVE GIVEN FULL DETAILS IN MY ARTICLE, 'GANDHIJI'S MIDNIGHT ARREST', IN YOUNG INDIA.”

The manuscript explicitly identifies the image as an “IMAGINARY PICTURE", acknowledging that the visual component functions not as documentary reportage but as a memory-driven reconstruction shaped through lived experience and emotional remembrance.

The arrest at Karadi marked a pivotal moment within the Civil Disobedience Movement. Following the immense symbolic success of the Dandi March and Gandhi’s open defiance of the British salt laws, the colonial administration moved swiftly to suppress the movement through arrests and imprisonment. Gandhi’s detention triggered nationwide protests and intensified international attention toward India’s non-violent struggle for independence.

Material directly connected to the Dandi campaign remains among the most historically significant categories of Gandhian memorabilia. The present example is especially important because it preserves not only the image of a historic event, but also the personal voice of a participant who stood beside Gandhi at the moment of arrest. Anand Hingorani later became one of the principal preservers, editors, and custodians of Gandhian writings and memory, making documents of this deeply personal nature exceptionally rare.

Through Anand Hingorani's recollection, the arrest ceases to be an episode in history and becomes a lived experience remembered by an eyewitness who stood beside Gandhi when the police arrived. Few surviving documents place the viewer closer to a defining moment of the freedom struggle.

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.