Gandhi in Kausani: The Story of Anashakti Ashram
In 1929 Mahatma Gandhi spent about two weeks on Kausani’s ridge working on his commentary on the Gita. The bungalow became Anashakti Ashram. Here is its story.
Of all the people who have stood on Kausani’s ridge and looked at the Himalaya, none is more famous than Mahatma Gandhi. His short stay in 1929 gave the village its best-known nickname and left behind one of its most peaceful places: the Anashakti Ashram.
A fortnight in the hills
In 1929 Gandhi toured Kumaon, and in Kausani he stopped for about two weeks — most accounts say fourteen days, a few say twelve. He did not come to rest. He came to work on Anasakti Yoga, his translation of and commentary on the Bhagavad Gita, built around the idea of anasakti: action without attachment to its fruits.
It is a fitting idea for the place. Kausani is a village where there is little to do except look, think and walk — the very conditions that suit long, careful writing.
The “Switzerland of India”
Ask anyone in Kausani and they will tell you that Gandhi, struck by the view, called it the Switzerland of India. It is worth being honest: this comes to us as local tradition, repeated in guidebooks and on tourism signboards rather than in a recorded quotation. But it has stuck for good reason. On a clear morning the line of snow peaks on the horizon — Trishul, Nanda Devi, Panchachuli and more — is as grand as anything in the Alps.
The ashram today
The bungalow where Gandhi stayed was later turned into the Anashakti Ashram. Today it has:
- a small museum of photographs and documents from Gandhi’s time in Kumaon;
- a prayer hall;
- a study and research centre devoted to Gandhian thought;
- and, from its lawn, one of the finest sunset views in town.
It is a working place of reflection rather than a tourist attraction, and visitors are asked to keep it that way — speak softly and leave your phone on silent.
Gandhi’s legacy in Kausani
The visit had a long tail. In 1946 one of Gandhi’s English-born disciples, Sarla Behn, founded Lakshmi Ashram on the edge of Kausani to educate hill girls through Gandhi’s nai talim — learning by doing. It is still running today, a short walk through the pines from the Anashakti Ashram. Visiting both together makes for a thoughtful morning.
Visiting
- Where: on the ridge in Kausani town, a short drive from Lap of Himalayas.
- When: late afternoon, so you can stay on for sunset.
- Combine with: the Sumitranandan Pant Museum and Lakshmi Ashram, both close by.
Read our short history of Kausani for the bigger picture — from the Katyuri kings to the present day.
