Mahatma Gandhi memorabilia is with Indian government

Tushar Gandhi, the great grandson of the Mahatma said “I am delighted, absolutely delighted,”
Mr. Mallya said “I will always have the emotional satisfaction of having bought them and gifted them to the government of India,”
It is a great moment of pride for every Indian that finally the personal belongings of Gandhiji have been won in an auction by Vijay Mr. Mallya and the same are being brought to India.

The auction of Gandhi’s memorabilia in New York ended on a triumphant note for India as business tycoon Vijay Mallya put in a bid of $1.8 million, winning not only the five heritage items Gandhi’s steel-rimmed spectacles, a pair of sandals, a Zenith pocket watch, an eating bowl and a plate were put under the hammer but also gushing praise from Indians young and old…

Mr. Mallya, who was among 40 registered bidders, including several Indian Americans, was ready and went up to a whopping $1.8 million to clinch the deal.

Mr. Mallya wants to gift the memorabilia to the Indian government, Mahatma Gandhi had appointed the Navjivan Trust as the sole heir of his personal belongings through a will registered in 1929.

It will take a while for the Gandhi memorabilia to come back home. The US justice department has asked the auction house to hold the lot for two weeks pending a resolution between the new owner and the US and Indian governments.