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tHERE lIVED A mOTHER AND A fATHER.

Tell me about Gandhi's mother

Mahatma Gandhi's mother was Putlibai Gandhi (1841–1891). She was Karamchand Gandhi's fourth wife and came from a devout Vaishnava Hindu family in the nearby town of Junagadh.

Key Aspects of Her Life and Influence

• Deep Religious Devotion: Putlibai was an intensely spiritual woman who followed strict Jain-influenced Hindu practices. She observed daily fasts (often ekadashi and other vratas), performed regular temple visits, and maintained rigorous self-discipline. Gandhi later wrote in his autobiography that her piety left a profound imprint on his moral outlook.

• Daily Discipline: She reportedly never ate without first performing her prayers and would break fasts only after seeing the sun (or, on cloudy days, a reflection in water). This level of asceticism shaped young Mohandas's early understanding of restraint and truth.

• Influence on Gandhi's Character:

  • Non-violence and Compassion: Her kindness toward servants, animals, and the poor modeled ahimsa (non-violence) long before Gandhi formalized it as a philosophy.

  • Truthfulness: Gandhi credited her with instilling in him an early aversion to lying.

  • Self-Control: Her fasting routines and household austerity taught him the value of self-denial.

• Family Role: She bore six children (Laxmidas, Raliatbehn, Karsandas, and Mohandas being the youngest). Despite Karamchand's modest income as diwan, she managed the household frugally and with quiet authority.

• Death: Putlibai died in 1891 at age 50, while Gandhi was studying law in London. He received the news via telegram and later reflected that her death deepened his sense of duty toward his family.

Gandhi frequently cited his mother (more than his father) as the primary moral influence in his childhood, writing in My Experiments with Truth:

"The outstanding impression my mother has left on my memory is that of saintliness."

Details on Putlibai's daily fasts

Putlibai Gandhi observed an extremely rigorous regimen of fasts rooted in Vaishnava Hinduism with strong Jain influences, which were common in the Kathiawar region of Gujarat. Gandhi described her routine in The Story of My Experiments with Truth (Chapter I–II) with awe, noting that her discipline bordered on asceticism. Below are the specific details of her daily and periodic fasting practices:

1. Daily Mini-Fasts (Chandrayana-style Discipline)

• Core Rule: She would not break her fast until she had seen the sun.

• Cloudy Days: If the sky was overcast, she would:

  • Wait all day if necessary.

  • Or look for the sun’s reflection in a bowl of water or oil.

  • Only then would she take her first meal (often just a few morsels).

• Gandhi’s Observation: He wrote that on some monsoon days, she went without food until late evening or even the next morning if the sun remained hidden.

"My mother was a staunch Vaishnava... She would take the hardest vows and keep them without flinching. Illness was no excuse. She would not take food till she had seen the sun."

2. Weekly & Monthly Fasts (Vratas)

Fast NameFrequencyRulesEkadashiTwice a month (11th day of each lunar fortnight)Complete fast (no food or water) or only fruit/milk. Observed with intense prayer.Pradosha13th day of each fortnightLight meal after sunset; dedicated to Lord Shiva.Amavasya / PurnimaNew moon / Full moonPartial fast; only satvik food (no grains, salt, or spices).Chaturmas4 months of monsoon (July–Oct)Strictest period: no green vegetables, only root-based diet, frequent full-day fasts.

3. Self-Imposed Vows (Niyamas)

• No food without prayer: Every meal began only after chanting mantras and offering to the deity.

• Hospitality over hunger: Even during fasts, she ensured guests or servants were fed first.

• Silence during fasts: Often observed mauna vrata (vow of silence) on certain days.

4. Special Long Fasts

• Atthai / Navratri Fasts: 8–9 days of partial or full fasting during festivals.

• Illness Vows: If a family member fell seriously ill, she would undertake multi-day water-only fasts until recovery or crisis passed.

  • Gandhi recounts one instance when she fasted three consecutive days and nights during his father’s illness.

5. Diet on Non-Fasting Days

Even on regular days, her meals were austere:

• One or two simple meals (midday and evening).

• No onions, garlic, or rich spices.

• Preference for boiled vegetables, millet rotla, and buttermilk.

Gandhi’s Reflection on Her Fasts

"To keep two or three consecutive fasts was nothing to her... The woman was matchless in her devotion."

He later adopted similar fasting practices in his satyagraha campaigns, crediting her example as the seed of his own experiments with fasting as a moral and political weapon.

Summary: Putlibai’s fasts were not occasional rituals but a daily spiritual discipline combining Vaishnava devotion, Jain austerity, and personal vows. They shaped Gandhi’s lifelong belief in self-control, truth, and non-violence through bodily sacrifice.

Mahatma Gandhi transformed fasting from a private religious practice (inspired by his mother Putlibai) into a public moral and political weapon. He called his fasts “experiments with truth” and used them for self-purification, protest, and social reform. Below is a comprehensive breakdown of his fasting practices, rules, types, and major instances.

Core Philosophy of Gandhi’s Fasting

"Fasting is the sincerest form of prayer." — Gandhi

• Purpose: Not just penance, but moral pressure on himself and others.

• Ahimsa (Non-violence): Fasting was a way to absorb violence rather than inflict it.

• Self-Control: He believed fasting purified the body, mind, and soul.

• Public Appeal: Used to awaken conscience in opponents and unite communities.

Types of Fasts Gandhi Observed

TypePurposeDurationFood/Water RulesRegular Weekly FastSelf-disciplineEvery Monday (1920s–1940s)Complete fast (water only) or fruit juiceConditional FastTo stop violence or reform society3–21 daysWater, sometimes salt + sodaFast Unto DeathLast resort for justiceUntil goal achieved or deathWater only (no food, no juice)Partial FastHealth or minor penance1–3 daysFruit, milk, or light diet

Strict Rules Gandhi Followed During Fasts

1. No food — only water (sometimes with salt and baking soda for electrolytes).

2. No medicines — except in extreme medical emergencies.

3. No public sympathy-seeking — fasts were announced, not dramatized.

4. Work continued — he wrote, spun khadi, and met visitors even on long fasts.

5. Medical check-ups — allowed doctors to monitor but not force-feed.

6. Break only when goal achieved — never prematurely.

Major Fasts of Gandhi (Chronological)

YearLocationDurationReasonOutcome1913Phoenix, South Africa14 daysMoral lapse (breach of celibacy vow)Self-purification1918Ahmedabad3 daysTo resolve mill workers’ strikeWorkers accepted 35% wage hike1924Delhi21 daysHindu-Muslim unity after riotsTemporary communal peace1932Poona (Yerwada Jail)6 days (Fast Unto Death)Against separate electorates for DalitsPoona Pact signed with Ambedkar1933Poona21 daysSelf-purification + Harijan upliftmentSurvived; deepened anti-untouchability work1939Rajkot4 daysAgainst Thakore’s broken promiseBritish forced settlement1943Aga Khan Palace, Poona21 daysProtest against British blame for Quit India violenceSurvived; Kasturba died during this period1947Calcutta3 daysStop Hindu-Muslim riotsViolence halted1948Delhi (Final Fast)5 days (Jan 13–18)Restore Hindu-Muslim trust post-partitionPeace restored; broke fast with orange juice

Note: Gandhi died 12 days after breaking his last fast (assassinated on Jan 30, 1948).

Health Impact & Medical Observations

• Weight Loss: Lost 3–5 kg per week on long fasts.

• Ketosis: Body entered fat-burning state after 3–4 days.

• Weakness: Could barely walk after 10+ days, but mental clarity remained.

• Doctors' Warnings: Often said he’d die, but he survived 13 major fasts totaling over 140 days.

Gandhi’s Own Words on Fasting

"A genuine fast cleanses the body, mind, and soul. It crucifies the flesh and establishes a mastery over it."

"My fast is a matter between God and myself. But I use it to touch the hearts of those who are violent."

Influence of Putlibai on Gandhi’s Fasts

Putlibai’s PracticeGandhi’s AdaptationFast until seeing the sunFast until moral goal achievedVows during family illnessFast to stop communal violenceSilence + prayerSpinning + prayer during fastsNo food without devotionNo breaking fast without justice

Summary: Fasting as Satyagraha

Gandhi elevated fasting into “soul force” (satyagraha):

• Not suicide — because it was conditional and non-violent.

• Not coercion — aimed at conversion, not defeat, of the opponent.

• Ultimate sacrifice — he was willing to die for truth.

Final Fast (1948): When asked to break it, he said: "If I live, I live for India’s unity. If I die, I die for the same."

Legacy: Gandhi’s fasting inspired global leaders like Martin Luther King Jr., César Chávez, and Tibetan monks, proving that one frail man’s hunger could move nations.

Gandhi's own fasting practices