“My life is my message.” These words are beautifully exemplified by the Statue of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi in Denpasar. This tribute stands as a testament to India’s symbol of non-violence. Mahatma Gandhi, revered globally, championed peace. He advocated for non-violence. Countries worldwide have embraced his memory. They have enshrined his principles in monuments.
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, affectionately called Mahatma, believed in simple living. He preached peaceful existence. A lawyer and freedom fighter, Gandhi sparked civil rights movements. He fought for freedom in India. He also championed the cause of Indians in South Africa. His life and work inspired leaders globally. They followed his path. They motivated their people.
This statue is not the only memorial to Gandhi around the world. The Lake Shrine in California, built in 1950, is a Gandhi World Peace Memorial. It houses a portion of Gandhi’s ashes. A brass-silver coffer holds the ashes. The coffer rests inside a thousand-year-old Chinese sarcophagus. Another statue graces Jinga in Uganda. It commemorates the submerging of some of his ashes in the River Nile.
In London, England, a statue marks Gandhi’s 125th birth anniversary. Fredda Brilliant created the work. The India League and the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Committee erected it. Former British Prime Minister Harold Wilson unveiled it in 1968. Copenhagen, Denmark, also boasts a Gandhi statue. Former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi gifted it to the Danish government in 1984.
Buenos Aires, Argentina, received a Gandhi statue from the Indian government. Ram Vanji Sutar crafted the statue. It stands proudly in Plaza Sicilia. South Africa holds a bronze statue of Gandhi in Pietermaritzburg. Archbishop Desmond Tutu unveiled it in 1993. It honors his work for Indians there.
Canberra, Australia, features a bronze Gandhi statue in Glebe Park. It embodies his guiding principles. These principles are no politics without principles, no commerce without morality, and no science without humanity. Vienna, Austria, displays an oil painting of Gandhi by Werner Horvath. It is located in the Garden of Peace. It represents his philosophy of peace and non-violence.
Geneva, Switzerland, has a Gandhi statue in Ariana Park. It commemorates the Treaty of Amity between India and Switzerland. The Indian government presented it on the treaty’s 60th anniversary. The inscription reads, “Ma vie est mon message.” This translates to “My life is my message.”
The most recent statue resides in London’s Parliament Square. It was installed on March 14, 2015. It marks the 100th anniversary of Gandhi’s return to India. He began the struggle for independence from British rule there. Prime Minister David Cameron called Gandhi “one of the most towering figures” in political history.
Here in Denpasar, the Statue of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi stands as a reminder. It reminds us of his enduring legacy. He believed in non-violence. He taught the world the power of peace. May his message continue to inspire generations to come. Remember his life was his message. It is etched in the stone before us.