Statue of Mahatma Gandhi, Bronze statue near Embassy of India, Washington DC, United States
The Statue of Mahatma Gandhi is a bronze memorial on Massachusetts Avenue in Washington, D.C., showing Gandhi dressed in traditional clothing and standing on a granite base sourced from the Indian state of Karnataka. Three inscribed stone slabs stand behind the figure, and a small seating area is arranged in front for visitors.
The memorial was erected in 2000 by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, with Prime Minister Vajpayee and President Clinton present at the dedication. The bronze figure was made by Gautam Pal, a sculptor from Kolkata.
The base of the statue carries the words 'My life is my message', which Gandhi once said to a journalist asking what he wanted the world to know. These words give the figure a personal tone that visitors often stop to read and think about.
The memorial sits on Massachusetts Avenue next to the Indian Embassy and is easy to spot from the sidewalk. The seating area in front makes it a comfortable stop, and the site is accessible with no barriers to entry.
The pose of the figure references Gandhi's salt march of 1930, during which he led thousands of people on a long walk to protest British colonial rule over salt production. This means the statue represents a specific act rather than just a general portrait.
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