WARDHA

Gandhi Gyan Mandir is a research and educational institution located in the MIDC area of Wardha. It was established in 1949 by industrialist Jamnalal Bajaj, with its foundation stone laid by India’s first President, Dr. Rajendra Prasad; in many ways linking it to India’s early days of Independence. The centre is primarily focused on the study and dissemination of Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy and related educational initiatives.

The institution includes a public library housing a wide range of literature across multiple languages. It regularly hosts seminars, lectures, and discussions on topics related to Gandhian thought and social development. Within the premises is the Bajaj Science Centre, established in 2008, aimed at promoting science education through interactive learning. The centre features laboratories and hands-on activities designed to engage students in scientific exploration.

Gitai Mandir, located in Wardha, is a unique open-air Mandir dedicated to Acharya Vinoba Bhave’s Marathi translation of the Bhagavad Gita. The site is closely associated with both Vinoba Bhave and the Bajaj family, particularly Shri Kamalnayan Bajaj, who proposed the creation of the Mandir with Vinoba’s approval.

In 1932, Vinoba Bhave translated the 700 verses of the Bhagavad Gita into Marathi as a tribute to his mother. Titled Gitai (meaning “Mother Gita”)the work became a central part of his spiritual legacy and very notably, to mark the fiftieth anniversary of this translation, Gitai Mandir was inaugurated as a commemorative space.

The structure itself is notable for its unconventional design. It has a circular layout with no roof, no walls, and no statues. Instead, the 18 chapters of Gitai are inscribed on granite slabs, arranged across 36 acres. The site also features photographic exhibits on Vinoba Bhave and Shri Jamnalal Bajaj housed in a complex known as Shanti Kutir.

Khairwada, a village in Wardha district, is home to one of the largest known concentrations of megalithic burials in Maharashtra. With over 1,500 stone circles spread across its terrain, the site offers critical insight into early Iron Age mortuary practices, dated to the 1st millennium BCE.

The site was first recorded by J.J. Carey in 1871, whose sketches and notes were published in the Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. Later excavations by the Department of Archaeology at Deccan College in 1980–81 confirmed the presence of undisturbed burial structures and habitation layers, particularly in forested zones on the village’s eastern and northern sides.

What sets Khairwada apart is the continuity between past and present. Many residents associate the stone circles with the Gaoli community, traditionally linked to pastoral life, and connect the site with rituals surrounding Bhavani Devi, still observed today. This relationship between archaeological remains and local belief has helped sustain the site, even in the absence of formal recognition.

Despite this, the megaliths face growing threats from quarrying, agricultural activity, and vegetation overgrowth. While researchers and archaeologists continue to advocate for protection, the site, very unfortunately, remains outside the purview of official conservation efforts.

Laxminarayan Mandir is a significant religious site in Wardha which was constructed in 1905 under the guidance of philanthropist Seth Bachhrajji. What sets it apart, especially for its time, is its early connection to reformist movements that began to question and push back against caste-based exclusion and the practice of untouchability within spaces of worship. In 1928, Acharya Vinoba Bhave, with the support of Jamnalal Bajaj, led a group of Dalit individuals into the Mandir, an act intended to challenge prevailing social barriers.

The site was later visited by Mahatma Gandhi before his departure to Bombay (now Mumbai) to initiate the Quit India Movement. Its connection to Gandhi is still visible in subtle yet telling ways. Notably, the Devtas and Devis of the Mandir are draped in khadi cloth, which in many ways stands as a symbolic nod to Gandhian ideals of simplicity and self-sufficiency.

Magan Sangrahalaya is a museum located in Maganwadi, Wardha, established in 1938 by Mahatma Gandhi. It is regarded to be the only museum in India founded by Gandhi and focuses on showcasing rural industries and self-reliant technologies developed during the Swadeshi movement.

The museum features a collection of charkhas (spinning wheels) dating back to the 1930s, including hand-operated, pedal-powered, and solar-driven models. Displays include various types of khadi, from naturally dyed cotton to blends with silk, raw silk, wool, and jute.

Exhibits represent over thirty rural industries, including food processing, handmade paper, honey extraction, agricultural tools, and leather products made from fallen animal hides. The museum documents practices tied to village-level production and craftwork.

Today, Magan Sangrahalaya continues to function as a space for research, education, and demonstration. In many ways, it remains as an institution where one can understand Gandhi’s vision of decentralised development through artisanal and village-based economies.

Mahakali Mandir is situated near the base of the Mahakali Dam in Wardha. Dedicated to the Devi Mahakali, the Mandir is known for its seasonal submersion; parts of the structure remain underwater during certain times of the year, depending on the water level of the dam.

Access to the gabhara (inner sanctum) is through an underground passage. The Mandir’s changing visibility adds an air of mystique to the site and its distinctive character.

Pavnar Ashram, also known as Paunar Ashram, is located on the banks of the Dham River in Wardha district. It was founded in 1921 by Acharya Vinoba Bhave, a social reformer and close associate of Mahatma Gandhi, as a centre for satyagraha and constructive rural work. The land had earlier been developed by Jamnalal Bajaj as a seasonal retreat and later became Bhave’s long-term base in the region.

Acharya Vinoba Bhave (1895–1982) arrived in Wardha after joining Gandhi’s movement in 1916 and went on to launch the Bhoodan Movement in 1951, which encouraged landowners to donate land voluntarily to the landless. The ashram served as the organisational and residential centre for this work, reflecting his emphasis on decentralised, community-led living.

One of the most significant outcomes of Bhave’s work at Paunar was the establishment of the Brahma Vidya Mandir in 1959. Run by women from across the country, the centre functions as a residential space for spiritual study, communal life, and rishi kheti (a form of non-violent, chemical-free agriculture.) The ashram remains active, continuing these practices today.

An ashram might be a place commonly associated with service and social work, but Pavnar Ashram is marked by archaeology and history, making it stand apart. What makes the site even more fascinating is its unexpected archaeological dimension.

During the ashram’s early construction, workers uncovered stone sculptures and carved panels showing scenes from the Ramayan and Mahabharat. These discoveries have prompted deeper historical interest in the site. The district Gazetteer of Wardha (1974) mentions that Pavnar has been linked to Pravarpur, believed to have been the capital of the Vakataka dynasty under Pravarasena II (c. early 5th century CE). Based on the style of the sculptures and the site’s location, some scholars have proposed that this may have been the site of a Ram Mandir, possibly built under the influence of Prabhavatigupta, the legendary Gupta princess and queen mother to Pravarasena.

Pavnar Fort is a historic fort located in Pavnar village, on the banks of the Dham River in Wardha district. Built on elevated ground and bordered by the river on three sides, the fort held strategic importance under several ruling powers. It is a protected monument under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

Pavnar served as a regional centre under both Mughal and Maratha rule. British administrator Sir Richard Jenkins noted in his 1827 report that Pavnar was “formerly the chief seat of Muhammadan Government east of the Wardha,” with a Faujdar (military officer) stationed here to collect tribute from the Gond rulers of Devgad and Chanda on behalf of the emperor in Delhi. The Ain-i-Akbari, the 16th-century record compiled by Abul Fazl during Akbar’s reign, also mentions Pavnar, indicating its administrative importance during the Mughal period.

In 1807, Pavnar was attacked and looted by the Pindaris during a period of political instability. It later continued as an administrative centre under the Marathas, functioning as the headquarters of a pargana and the residence of a Kamavisdar (revenue officer).

Today, the fort stands in a ruined condition, with remains of its original structure still visible, offering a glimpse into the administrative history of the region.

Sevagram Ashram, located in the village of Sevagram near Wardha, is a significant cultural and historical site associated with Mahatma Gandhi. Such was the influence of Gandhi’s stay that the village, originally called Segaon, was renamed Sevagram (meaning “village of service”) in the 1930s. The centerpiece of the ashram is Bapu Kuti, a modest hut that served as Gandhi’s residence and the focal point of his activities during a crucial phase of India’s Independence Movement.

In 1935, following his departure from Sabarmati Ashram, Gandhi accepted an invitation from industrialist and close associate Jamnalal Bajaj to relocate to Wardha. Although Bajaj offered him a comfortable residence, Gandhi chose to live in a humble hut that reflected his ideals of simplicity, self-sufficiency, and alignment with the life of India’s rural poor. He lived at Sevagram from 1936 to 1946, during which the ashram became a quiet epicenter of political thought, social reform, and grassroots action.

Gandhi’s stay at Sevagram holds deeper significance than often acknowledged. It was, as scholar Dennis Dalton (1977) observed, an “experiment” in social living—an attempt to put his ideals of rural reconstruction into action. Writing in Harijan, Gandhi described his resolve at age sixty-six to settle in the remote village and reimagine it as a space for collective life and moral education. His aim was not merely to live among villagers, but to build an ashram that could serve as a model for a self-sustaining and just society.

In October 1934, prior to settling in Sevagram, Gandhi resigned from the Indian National Congress to devote himself to what he termed the “constructive program,” a wide-ranging initiative aimed at transforming rural life in India. This effort included the promotion of khadi and village industries, the advancement of basic education through what became known as the Wardha Scheme  (also known as Nai Taleem), the empowerment of women, the promotion of Indian languages, and the advocacy of social reforms such as prohibition of alcohol.

These initiatives were intended to build a self-reliant, equitable society from the ground up, reflecting Gandhi’s belief that national regeneration began not in legislative halls, but in villages and in addressing the everyday needs of rural communities. The ashram soon became a space of experimentation in both ideology and practice, with Bapu Kuti serving as the center of Gandhi’s daily life, correspondence, meetings, and moments of reflection.

Initially without even basic amenities, Bapu Kuti gradually developed to include separate areas for bathing and massage. Gandhi personally maintained cleanliness in and around the ashram, including the upkeep of a septic tank latrine—an act he considered essential to breaking social taboos around sanitation.

The ashram attracted a steady flow of visitors, including political thinkers, activists, and spiritual leaders. Among them were Acharya Narendradev of the Indian Socialist Party and Vedic scholar Parchure Shastri, who lived at the ashram while undergoing nature-cure treatment. These visits were not ceremonial; they often led to discussions of national importance, including conversations that contributed to the shaping of the Quit India Movement.

Sevagram also became a center for the compassionate treatment of leprosy, a widespread and heavily stigmatized disease in the region at the time. Gandhi played a direct role in caring for patients and advocated for their dignity, aiming to replace fear and exclusion with understanding and empathy. The presence of patients at the ashram underscored Gandhi’s commitment to inclusivity and service.

Bapu Kuti, today, functions as a museum, displaying objects from Gandhi’s daily life, including a nail-less wooden rack, and handmade tools. These artifacts remain preserved as part of the ashram’s efforts to maintain the site as a record of Gandhi’s ideals and way of life. While it may not attract the same number of visitors as other historical sites do, the site serves as a valuable place to learn about the man who left an indelible mark on India.

Sheikh Farid Baba Dargah, also known as Girad Wale Baba Ki Dargah, is a significant Sufi shrine in Girad. The site is known for its atmosphere of religious coexistence, where both Hindu and Muslim devotees gather and perform their respective rituals.

The dargah continues to be a space where people from different backgrounds come together in shared reverence, reflecting long standing traditions of syncretic worship in the region.

The Vishwa Shanti Stupa in Wardha is part of a series of Peace Pagodas built around the world by Japanese Buddhist monk Nichidatsu Fujii, founder of the Nipponzan-Myohoji order. Fujii first visited Wardha in 1933, where he met Mahatma Gandhi. The meeting marked the beginning of a longstanding connection between the two, grounded in their shared commitment to nonviolence. In later years, Gandhi would refer to him as “Fujii Guruji.”

Several decades later, in 1983, Fujii returned to Wardha and expressed his wish to build a stupa in the area. Its foundation stone was laid in 1989, near Gitai Mandir.

The structure features a white dome and four Buddha statues facing in the cardinal directions, symbolising peace in all directions. The site also includes a small Japanese Buddhist Mandir and a surrounding park. Today, it stands as a quiet space for reflection, and as a reminder of the shared ideals that brought Fujii and Gandhi together.

Yesamba, a village in Wardha district, is home to a striking but little-known Iron Age megalithic complex. Over 60 stone circles, many measuring between 4 and 40 metres in diameter, are scattered across the Yesamba gram panchayat, especially near the Bhavani Mata Mandir on the road to Bhankheda. These structures are typically associated with burial practices and are dated to around 2,600 years ago.

The site first gained archaeological attention through the fieldwork of Oshin Bamb, who was directed to the area by local residents during an ethnographic study in nearby Khairwada. His surveys documented the extent of the stone circles, as well as associated material such as red and black ware pottery, which is often linked to early Iron Age settlements.

Despite its scale and antiquity, Yesamba remains vulnerable. Quarrying has already damaged parts of the landscape, and many structures are now obscured or at risk. Shrikant Ganvir, archaeologist at Deccan College, has underscored the urgency of conservation. A formal proposal for the site's protection is currently being prepared for submission to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and the Maharashtra Department of Archaeology.