Archive · 7 Oct 2026
Gujarat Vidyapith Marks Gandhi’s Birthday With Charkha Demonstrations
Gujarat Vidyapith is a university founded by Mahatma Gandhi.
It celebrated his birthday on October 7 using a date from the Hindu Vikram Samvat calendar.
Gandhi’s birthday on that calendar is called Rentiya Baras, meaning “spinning wheel day” in Gujarati.
October 2 is the date generally recognised as his birthday.
The university brought charkhas, or spinning wheels, to 351 schools in Ahmedabad.
Volunteers and students showed children how the wheels work and explained Gandhi’s ideas about self-reliance and Swadeshi.
The program was expected to reach more than 135,000 school students.
The university says it has held this observance for 90 years.
Gujarat Vidyapith celebrated Gandhi’s birthday according to the Hindu Vikram Samvat calendar on Wednesday, October 7, five days after the October 2 observance.
The university took spinning wheels, or charkhas, to 351 Ahmedabad municipal schools across 48 wards.
Around 200 volunteers and more than 1,800 Vidyapith students were expected to reach over 135,000 school students.
The occasion, called Rentiya Baras, marks Gandhi’s Hindu-calendar birth date, Bhadarva Vad Baras, which corresponds to October 2, 1869.
The university has observed Rentiya Baras for 90 years, promoting Swadeshi, self-reliance and khadi.
- Who
- Gujarat Vidyapith, its volunteers and students, and students at Ahmedabad municipal schools.
- What
- The university observed Gandhi’s Vikram Samvat-calendar birthday as Rentiya Baras and demonstrated charkha spinning.
- When
- Wednesday, October 7; the articles do not specify the year.
- Where
- 351 schools across 48 wards of Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
- Why
- To share Gandhi’s ideals of Swadeshi, self-reliance and khadi, and mark his birthday according to the Vikram Samvat calendar.
- University
- Gujarat Vidyapith, founded by Mahatma Gandhi in Ahmedabad on October 18, 1920
- Observance
- Rentiya Baras, Gandhi’s birthday according to the Vikram Samvat calendar
- Hindu-calendar date
- Bhadarva Vad Baras, the 12th day of the sixth month, Bhadrapada
- Gregorian birthday
- October 2, 1869
- School visits
- 351 municipal schools across 48 Ahmedabad wards
- Participants and reach
- Around 200 volunteers and more than 1,800 Vidyapith students; the program was expected to reach over 135,000 school students
- Length of observance
- Gujarat Vidyapith has celebrated Rentiya Baras for 90 years
