First Gandhi Museum in North America opens in Houston

A museum wholly dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi and his thoughts has been opened in Houston, USA. This is the first such museum in North America. The museum is now open for the public. It has been Eternal Gandhi Museum. The museum aims to promote and preserve the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi, who is called the apostle of peace.

The museum officially opened for the public on August 15. But the grand ribbon-cutting ceremony took place on October 2. It was the 154th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

Outer walls of the semi-circular museum show various peace activists including Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr., Betty Williams and more. There is also a statue of Mahatma Gandhi in front of the musuem.

Special guest for the opening ceremony on Monday (October 2) included Dr Rajmohan Gandhi (grandson of Mahatma Gandhi), Isaac Newton Farris Jr. (nephew of Martin Luther King) and more dignitaries.

"EGMH will encourage humanity to get beyond hate, violence, and supremacy," Dr. Rajmohan Gandhi, the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi said as quoted by Press Trust of India (PTI).

"For a great many in the world, Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. are symbols of dignity, of peace, of equality." The 13,000 square-foot museum's architecture is based on Mahatma Gandhi's twenty-four-spoke Chakra spinning wheel which he used to seek independence from colonial rule"

The museum will give visitors an insight into Mahatma Gandhi's thoughts as well as chapters of his life. Mahatma Gandhi was born in India. He worked as a lawyer in Africa in early adulthood. On his return to India, he started non-violent movements against the British rule in India.

The museum has interactive and engaging exhibits. The visitor experience consists of three parts, "His Journey," "Our Journey" and "My Journey".

"This museum and the great Mahatma's philosophy is desperately needed in America today, and so I certainly had to be part of this," said Isaac Newton Farris Jr as quoted by PTI.

"In recognition of the impact that the great Mahatma had on my uncle, my aunt, Coretta Scott King, established the Gandhi Room in the Martin Luther King Jr Freedom Center Hall building, where millions of tourists can view personal items that belong to the great Mahatma." said US Representative Al Green. He helped the EGMH board secure 3 million dollars through community funding.

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