₹100 crore announced for Gandhi Smaraka in Belagavi district

Chief Minister DK Shivakumar attends Gandhi Jayanti celebrations at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru on Friday.

Chief Minister DK Shivakumar announced an allocation of ₹100 million for the construction of the Gandhi Smarak (Memorial) at Belagavi, where Mahatma Gandhi presided over a Congress session in 1924. This was the only annual Congress session presided over by the Father of the Nation.

Mr. Shivakumar said his government would allocate the money in the next state budget. He said this after inaugurating the Gandhi Digital Museum at Gandhi Bhavan in Bengaluru on Friday.

Mr. Shivakumar also announced that memorial pillars of Gandhi will be erected at all places visited by Gandhiji throughout Karnataka during the freedom struggle. These pillars will be in place before Gandhi Jayanti in 2027.

Mr. Shivakumar unveiled the first pillar at Government Arts and Science (GAS) College, Bengaluru. This pillar was sculpted by renowned sculptor from Mysuru, Arun Yogiraj. On 8 May 1915, Gandhiji, accompanied by his wife Kasturba, visited the then Government High School, now GAS College, and unveiled a portrait of Gopal Krishna Gokhale.

The state government has earmarked ₹5.09 crore in the 2026-27 state budget for placing these memorial pillars at 87 different locations as part of the ‘Gandhi Bharata’ campaign to commemorate Gandhiji’s 1924 visit.

The Chief Minister said that his party has always worked to preserve the name of Gandhiji. “Former minister HK Patil named Mahatma Gandhi Rural Development and Panchayat Raj University in Gadag. Our government has also renamed gram panchayat buildings as Mahatma Gandhi Gram Panchayats,” he said and urged people to visit the replica Sabarmati Ashram in Gadag. He said that people who cannot afford to travel to Ahmedabad can visit this place.

Published – 02 Oct 2026 21:37 IST