Seventy-five rare letters that highlight the relationship between Mahatma Gandhi and architect Hermann Kallenbach during their stay in South Africa and the communication between their families went on public display on Wednesday. The letters, two newspapers and journal, which were bought by India for a whopping $1.28 million from a auction house in the United Kingdom, is now part of the Private Paper Collections at the National Archives of India.
India has purchased a rich archive comprising thousands of letters and documents related to Mahatma Gandhi, including those on his controversial relationship with architect Hermann Kallenbach.
A large collection of letters, documents and photographs related to Mahatma Gandhi's time in South Africa, especially related to his controversial relationship with architect Hermann Kallenbach, is expected to fetch between 500,000 and 700,000 pounds at an auction in London. The collection will be put up for auction by Sotherby's on July 10.
Written on the occasion of Rosh Hashana (Jewish new year) on September 1, 1939, the letter also marked the beginning of the World War II when Germany invaded Poland, setting the stage for the despicable atrocities of the Holocaust.