Wardha

Wardha offers a glimpse into Gandhi’s life, sites connected with India’s national movement, religious architecture and the natural world of Bor Tiger Reserve. Plan your trip around what you most want to experience: history, temples and places of peace, or landscapes and wildlife.

Gandhi and India’s national movement

Sevagram Ashram is considered a pilgrimage site for people who want to see and experience how Mahatma Gandhi lived and fought for India’s freedom. Adi Nivas was Gandhi’s first residence in Sevagram. For help planning your arrival: Sevagram railway station is 3 km from the Sevagram tourist site. Check local access before you travel.

Bajajwadi is also connected with the history of the national movement. A World Peace Conference was held there in 1935. The first draft of the 1942 Quit India Movement resolution was also prepared, discussed and adopted there. Bajajwadi also served as the venue for numerous meetings of the Congress Working Committee. Wardha developed into a historic centre of India’s national movement.

Gandhi Gyan Mandir in Wardha hosts lectures, seminars and discussions. The institution also houses a public library with an extensive collection of Gandhian literature in various languages. As well as historic sites, discussion and reading are among the ways to explore Gandhi’s legacy.

Temples and places of peace

Gitai Mandir is a unique temple in India: it has neither an idol nor a roof. The 18 chapters of the Gitai are engraved on 18 types of stone slabs, sourced from India’s four cardinal directions. Vinoba Bhave inaugurated the temple on October 7, 1980. Its unusual design and inscriptions are equally striking.

Near Gitai Mandir stands Vishwa Shanti Stupa, a large white peace pagoda. Buddha statues face all four cardinal directions, and the stupa also has a small Japanese Buddhist monastery. Together, these sites offer two distinct forms of religious architecture: the roofless temple and the white pagoda with its statues facing in four directions.

Laxminarayan Mandir in Kapshi, in Hinganghat tehsil, was the first temple in India to open its doors to Dalits. Construction began in 1905; the idols of Lakshmi and Narayan were installed in 1907 and are clothed in Khadi fabric. While the design and engraved chapters stand out at Gitai Mandir, Laxminarayan Mandir is defined by its historical significance and the two deities.

Nature and local history

Bor Tiger Reserve near Hingani was declared a tiger reserve in July 2014. It covers 138.12 km² and includes the catchment area of the Bor Dam. The area is home to a wide variety of wildlife. Nature lovers will find a different focus here from the historic and religious sites.

The history of the ashrams is also part of Wardha’s story. Acharya Vinoba Bhave founded Paramdham Ashram in 1934 on the banks of the Dham River in the village of Paunar. The site thus connects Bhave with a clearly dated chapter of regional history.

Discover more destinations

Zadgaon, Hinganghat, Wadgaon, Kolhapur, Sindhudurg, South Sikkim, Parbhani, Yavatmal

For the main travel overview: Maharashtra.