Rajiv Mehta, Russell Mehta, Ashwin Kothari, Ashish Mehta,
Pathik Kothari at the ‘Selfie with Gandhi’ exhibit

A 40-day long display of the ‘Eternal Gandhi Multimedia Exhibition’ showcasing the life and times of the Mahatma, opened at the Smt. Sushilaben D. Parikh Palanpur Museum in Vidyamandir Palanpur on December 20, 2015. The programme is being dome jointly with the Aditya Birla Foundation. The exhibition will be on display at the Museum till January 30 and is part of the year-long Centenary celebrations of Mahatma Gandhi’s return from South Africa in 1915. Over 75,000 visitors are expected to view the exhibition.

During the mega event organised by Vidyamandir Trust, culminating on Gandhi Nirvaan Din, 30th January 2016, various other programmes, showcasing Mahatma Gandhi’s life and the heritage of Palanpur, such as Photography Competition, Drama, Ashram Bhajnavali Music Festival, Essay and Drawing competitions, Heritage-Awareness workshops, Talk Shows and Heritage Hunt will also be organized.

The Eternal Gandhi Multimedia Exhibition, an initiative of Aditya Birla Foundation, is permanently on display at the Birla House in New Delhi, where Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated. Palanpur is only the 3rd city, after Mumbai and Ahmedabad; where the exhibition has travelled.

The exhibition was inaugurated by Ashwin P. Kothari, Trustee, Aditya Birla Foundation, who has always been generous in his support for the preservation of Palanpuri heritage and culture.

Speaking at the inauguration, Pathik Kothari, Managing Trustee, Vidyamandir Trust, Palanpur presented a brief outline of the entire event, while Rajiv Mehta, Chairman of the Trust and Russell Mehta, Trustee, talked of the relevance of Gandhian values in today’s education and day-to-day life. The function also saw the release of ‘Atulya Vaarso’ – Palanpur Special Issue, a magazine focused on the research and conservation of heritage sites in the city and its culture.

Smt. Sushilaben D. Parikh Palanpur Museum established in 2012 at Taleybaug Campus, is itself housed in a historic bungalow. The Museum has been actively highlighting the intrinsic significance of the traditions and history of Palanpur, and also organizes a Heritage Week every year during the month of January with a variety of cultural programmes.