Let Bapu show the way

Extend your Independence Day celebrations by a week when you pay a visit to Eternal Gandhi, a souvenir shop dedicated to memorabilia related to Mahatma Gandhi that will open shortly at Mumbai's international airport

Let Bapu show the way

Mahatma Gandhi, the fearless proponent of truth and non-violence, inspired countless other leaders, including South African leader Nelson Mandela and African-American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Junior to fight against injustice. He lives on as part of our popular culture, in the form of movies, landmarks and in our textbooks.

Now, a novel initiative by the Aditya Birla Group has resulted in the formation of Eternal Gandhi, a shop dedicated to showcasing and selling artifacts, exclusively inspired by the father of the nation and his teachings.

What's in store
Scheduled to open next week, the outlet will offer an introductory range of 50 products. It will include puzzle cubes, wristwatches, statues of the iconic three monkeys (who speak no evil, see no evil and hear no evil), shirts, mugs, bookmarks, magnets, notepads, calendars, ceramic statues, paperweights, key chains and ball pens.

"People associate Gandhi memorabilia with khadi or very basic items. But we wanted to provide options that would be affordable to the masses and in a variety of forms ranging from stationery to accessories and apparel. They make for perfect corporate gifts but also carry forward Gandhiji's teachings," said Tony Valecha, founder of Peace Initiative, which handles the sales and marketing aspects of Eternal Gandhi.

Root of the cause
The present outlet has its roots in the Eternal Gandhi Interactive Multimedia exhibition that was kick-started by Kumar Mangalam Birla, five years ago. Utilising the digital medium, the museum showcased historical events related to Gandhi's life and documented the struggle for freedom. It soon turned into a mobile exhibition travelling across various parts of India.

"Post the exhibition, we began supplying Eternal Gandhi merchandise to Mani Bhavan Gandhi Sangrahalaya, Sarvodaya Mandal and Mumbai GPO. They were also available at the duty-free shopping complex at Terminal 3 of Delhi International Airport, but we wanted to open an exclusive outlet dedicated to such products," adds Valecha.

At the outlet, you will also be able to listen to rare recordings of songs sung by Bapu, which Valecha feels will help create an atmosphere where people can go back in time and re-acquaint themselves with Gandhi's teachings. Towards that end, the products have been given a contemporary touch as well so that it can appeal to the young and old alike.

But won't its location (within the airport premises) restrict access? "Our aim is to raise awareness about Gandhiji and his teachings and hence we want to reach out to the masses. We plan to set up other outlets within the city, which will be located in malls and other public spots. Besides, we want to reach Bangalore, Goa and Hyderabad as well," said Valecha.

Our picks
We recommend you watch out for the ceramic statues and the recycled Ahimsa notebooks, available in saffron, green and black colours. Some of the puzzle cubes are attractive and the 50 year-old calendar-cum-paperweight is quite useful. You can ward off temptation at work by keeping the desktop paperweight of the Seven Social Sins (politics without principles, wealth without work, pleasure without conscience, knowledge without character, commerce without morality, science without humanity and worship without sacrifice).

Sounds eerily apt, doesn't it?
"These items are very relevant at a time when strife, division and corruption prevails. They help reinforce a feeling of peace, harmony and equality through the simple message of truth and non-violence," concludes Valecha.

Opening on August 22
At Terminal 1B, Departure Lounge, Sahar, Andheri (East).
Call 66859045 / 66859046
log on to www.eternalgandhi.com
price range Rs 100 to Rs 2,000