London: A garland worn by Mahatma Gandhi during his 1930 Salt March failed to attract any buyers at a London auction on Wednesday. The garland, along with a photograph of Gandhi receiving it, was listed in lot 102 at the Islamic and Indian art online sale by Lyon & Turnbull, with an estimated value ranging from £20,000 to £30,000 (approximately Rs 21 lakh to Rs 32 lakh). The Dandi March was an important moment in Gandhi’s campaign for India’s independence from British rule, Times of India reported.
The garland, crafted from pink cloth, card, gold threads, sequins and folded paper wrappers inscribed in Gujarati, was part of the collection of Dr Balvantrai N Kanuga, Gandhi’s personal doctor and passed down through his family.
Rare photo captures Gandhi’s Dandi March
The accompanying photograph, which is slightly faded, captures Dr Kanuga’s wife, Nanduben, draping the garland around Gandhi’s neck. The caption reads, “Gandhiji Nanduben Kanuga. On the day of Dandi March. At Bungalow 12th March 1930,” suggesting that the garland was given to Gandhi when the march passed their home in Ahmedabad.
“Whilst the Gandhi garland did not sell, I am thrilled with the overall results of the Indian section. The Indian art section saw frantic bidding throughout and was over 90 per cent sold. The results show a real buoyancy with the Indian market,” Kristina Sanne, head of the sale, told TOI.
Other Indian artifacts sell for thousands
A Rajasthani miniature from the collection of VS Naipaul fetched £7,056 at auction, while a rare set of Indo-Portuguese mother-of-pearl vessels from a Scottish estate sold for more than £75,500. Apart from that, an illustration from a Bhagavata Purana series, attributed to Manaku of Guler, was sold for £27,700.
