Gandhi’s peti charkha and two letters to Anand T Hingorani on the spiritual discipline of spinning. (Express photo)A collection of Mahatma Gandhi’s daily reflections on truth, self-restraint and non-violence — written for close associate and disciple Anand T Hingorani fetched Rs 16.20 crore at a Saffronart auction on Wednesday, setting a world record for an Indian historical document sold at auction.Comprising 688 dated reflections penned across 23 months and compiled as a book titled ‘A Thought for the Day’, the archive offers an almost uninterrupted record of Gandhi’s moral thought and personal guidance.Hingorani had first met Gandhi in 1930 and went on to work closely with him at Sabarmati Ashram. He participated in the Dandi March, as well as the Civil Disobedience and Quit India movements. He later became an important publisher and custodian of Gandhi’s writings. His family preserved the archive across generations. Hingorani passed away in 1999.“Gandhi responded by setting aside time each day to write a personal thought. What began as a personal exchange soon evolved into a collaborative project. While Gandhi authored each reflection, Hingorani became the recipient, organiser and transcriber, ultimately preparing the writings for publication,” Minal Vazirani, Co-founder and president, Saffronart, told The Indian Express. The correspondence between Gandhi and Hingorani began as “an act of compassion” after the former reached out following the death of Hingorani’s wife, Vidya. According to the Hingorani family, Hingorani was also undergoing nature-cure treatment for his deafness at the time and had “shared with Gandhi the depth of his loneliness and grief”.“Gandhi is often remembered for his grand political movements but this document shines a light on the equal significance he placed on individual daily relationships,” Minal said. The book was part of an 86-lot sale — Gandhi: From the Collection of Anand T Hingorani — that featured objects documenting the defining moments in India’s freedom struggle as well as the friendship, mentorship and personal exchanges between Gandhi and Hingorani, ranging from letters and manuscripts to philatelic items and artefacts.“The exceptional response to ‘A Thought for the Day’ reinforces its rarity and historical significance. Together, these reflections offer a rare insight into how Gandhi lived the principles he advocated publicly, making this an especially valuable record of his thought and practice,” said Dinesh Vazirani, Co-Founder of Saffronart.Other highlights from the sale included Message on God — a set of three related manuscript and correspondence items offering Gandhi’s reflections on God and the Bhagavad Gita — which fetched Rs 1.68 crore; Gandhi’s Peti Charkha and Two Letters on the Spiritual Discipline of Spinning, which went for Rs 1.02 crore; and a signed presentation photograph of Gandhi Writing, which sold for Rs 78 lakh.Trisha Mukherjee is an Associate Editor at The Indian Express. As a feature journalist with over 12 years of experience in diverse newsrooms -- Press Trust of India, Outlook magazine and The New Indian Express -- she has written on cultural, social and political issues, with a particular focus on art. She has covered several national and international art events, including multiple editions of Art Basel Hong Kong, the Venice Biennale, Kochi-Muziris Biennale, Serendipity Arts Festival and the India Art Fair, among others. She attempts to look at contemporary issues ranging from farmers’ protest and women’s rights to climate change and global politics, through the cultural lens. She is an alumna of Calcutta University and Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Dhenkanal. Additionally, she also holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Indian Aesthetics from Jnanapravaha, Mumbai. At The Indian Express, her art writing strives to capture the dynamic art industry -- both Indian and global -- with a focus on its new voices, changing institutional models and evolving markets, while continuing coverage of colonial and modern Indian art. ... Read More Tags:Mahatma Gandhi