Archive · 22 Aug 2026
Gandhi’s Handwritten Reflections Fetch Record Rs 16.2 Crore at Auction
Mahatma Gandhi wrote 688 short reflections for Anand T Hingorani.
He wrote them over 23 months, or nearly two years.
The messages discussed ideas such as truth, non-violence, prayer and helping others.
They were written after the death of Hingorani’s wife, Vidya.
The writings were later collected in a book called “A Thought for the Day.”
Saffronart sold the collection for Rs 16.20 crore in Mumbai.
The auction house said this was a world record for an Indian historical document sold at auction.
Other Gandhi letters, photographs and personal objects were also sold.
A collection of 688 dated handwritten reflections by Mahatma Gandhi sold for Rs 16.20 crore.
Saffronart said the sale set a world record for an Indian historical document at auction.
Gandhi wrote the reflections for close associate Anand T Hingorani over 23 months.
The messages addressed truth, non-violence, service, prayer, self-restraint and religious equality.
Other sales included “Message on God” for Rs 1.68 crore and Gandhi’s Peti Charkha for Rs 1.02 crore.
- Who
- Mahatma Gandhi, Anand T Hingorani, the Hingorani family and Saffronart were central to the auction.
- What
- A collection of 688 handwritten Gandhi reflections sold for Rs 16.20 crore, reportedly setting a world auction record for an Indian historical document.
- When
- The auction took place on Wednesday, August 19, 2026; Gandhi wrote the reflections over 23 months.
- Where
- At a Saffronart auction in Mumbai, India.
- Why
- The collection was valued for its rarity, historical significance and intimate record of Gandhi’s ideas and relationship with Hingorani.
- Sale price
- Rs 16.20 crore (£1.34 million; about $1.70 million)
- Collection size
- 688 dated, handwritten reflections by Mahatma Gandhi
- Auction record
- Saffronart said the sale set a world record for an Indian historical document sold at auction
- Auction title
- “Gandhi: From the Collection of Anand T Hingorani”
- Auction size
- 86 lots containing letters, manuscripts, photographs and personal objects
- Collection title
- The reflections were later compiled as “A Thought for the Day”
- Other notable sales
- “Message on God” sold for Rs 1.68 crore; Gandhi’s Peti Charkha with two letters sold for Rs 1.02 crore
Sources
Mahatma Gandhi's handwritten notes sell for record rs 16.2 crore | GRAVITAS
Mahatma Gandhi manuscript sells for record Rs 16.2 crore at Saffronart auction - Telegraph India
Gandhi’s set of daily reflections fetches Rs 16.2 crore at auction
