Raj Ghat

The Raj Ghat is the last resting place of the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi. The place is not far away from the banks of River Yamuna. Mahatma Gandhi was cremated here on 31st January 1948 following his assassination on 30th January 1948 by Nathuram Godse. The memorial stone is a simple square platform made of black stone. The last words uttered by Mahatma "Hey Ram" are inscribed near the black platform. An eternal flame keeps burning in a copper urn in the Raj Ghat.

In keeping with the austere simplicity in life of Mahatma Gandhi, an unostentatious memorial marks the spot. No building covers the samadhi except a low wall, which forms a compound around it.

A commemorative ceremony takes place every Friday. Prayers are held in remembrance of Mahatma on the Birth (2nd October) and Death (30th January) Anniversaries. 30th January is remembered as Martyr's Day.

Apart from ordinary people and tourists, it has become an essential point of call for all visiting dignitaries to pay their homage to the Father of the Nation. Thus the first item on the agenda of a foreign dignitary on a state visit to India is to visit Raj Ghat. They the memorial is set in a garden with fountains and a variety of exotic trees.

Two museums dedicated to Gandhi are situated nearby. The Gandhi Memorial Museum is just across the road. It houses many belongings of Gandhi and photographs from his life. Gandhi Smriti Museum is housed in the Birla House at Tees January Marg, where Mahatma spent his last days and was shot down by Godse. The beautiful Zinat-ul Masjid or the Most Beautiful of Mosques towers over Raj Ghat. It is rarely visited by the tourists.