Mahatma Karamchand Gandhi (that was his real name) was an Indian politician, thinker and revolutionary. He was born on 2 October 1869 in Porbandar and murdered on 30 January 1948 by an extremist Hindu in favour of the partition of the country.

He was the leader of the Indian independence movement against British rule and the person behind the idea of passive non-violent resistance against the oppressors. His teaching affected the international peace movement and along with his asceticism contributed to his establishment as one of the universal symbols of the 20th century.

His family endorsed the ideas of the local religious movement which advocated the precept of “cause no injury” to any living being. Believers were not eating meat and considered fasting to be a self-cleansing method.

He was first named Mahatma in 1915 by Indian Nobel prize winner and poet Tagore, which in Sanskrit means “high-souled”.