" Facts about Mahatma Gandhi "

Mahatma Gandhi's life is so much entwined with the Indian freedom movement that rarely do people endeavor to acquaint themselves with other facets of his eventful life. We provide below some interesting facts about Mahatma Gandhi:

The Birth of 'Mahatma'
Mahatma Gandhi was born Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and the title 'Mahatma' was accorded to him much later. Mahatma literally translates to 'great soul' in Sanskrit. Even though opinion is ambivalent as to how Gandhi came to be known as Mahatma, people generally believe that noted poet and philosopher Rabindranath Tagore bestowed the title of 'Mahatma' on Gandhi.

Mahatma Gandhi and the Boer War
Despite his lifelong pursuit of nonviolence, Gandhi found himself embroiled in a war at an early stage of his life, albeit in a humanitarian role. During his stay in South Africa the Second Boer War broke out and Gandhi organized a volunteer medial unit of free Indians and indentured laborers called the Indian Ambulance Corps. This unit provided exemplary medical service to wounded black South Africans and post -war Gandhi became a decorated sergeant of the Corps.

The Gandhi Statue in Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg in KwaZulu Natal province of South Africa was the place where Gandhi was shoved out a train 1893 after refusing to move from the first class to a third class coach while holding a first class ticket. This unsavory incident proved to be landmark event in Gandhi's life as he made it a mission to protest such incidents of racial abuse. The downtown of Pietermaritzburg city now hosts a commemorative statue of Mahatma Gandhi.

Mahatma Gandhi and the Nobel Prize
It is indeed a sad irony that Mahatma Gandhi, the greatest exponent of peace and nonviolence, was never deemed eligible for the Nobel Peace Prize. After four previous nominations, Gandhi was chosen for the Prize in 1948, but because of his unfortunate assassination the Nobel Committee had to shelve their plans and the Peace Prize was not awarded that year.

Mahatma Gandhi and the Time Magazine
Time Magazine, the famous U.S. publication, named Mahatma Gandhi the Man of the Year in 1930. In 1999 the magazine declared Mahatma the runner-up to noted scientist Albert Einstein as the "Person of the Century".