Gandhi's 688 handwritten notes sell for record $1.7m at Mumbai auction

A collection of 688 handwritten notes by Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi has sold for a record-breaking price at auction in Mumbai, setting a new benchmark for an Indian historical document. The sale, conducted by the Mumbai-based auction house Saffronart, fetched 16.2 crore, which is approximately 1.7 million. The auction took place on August 18 and 19, 2026.

The record-setting lot was titled "A Thought for the Day: Gandhi's 688 Autograph Reflections for Anand T. Hingorani, 1944-1946." The notes were written by Gandhi over a period of nearly two years, from November 20, 1944, to October 10, 1946. They were composed for Anand T. Hingorani, a Gandhian scholar, publisher, and longtime correspondent of Gandhi, following the death of Hingorani's wife, Vidya. The messages, written in Hindi, touch on subjects including truth, God, nonviolence, and self-restraint. Many entries also note where Gandhi was when he wrote them.

Saffronart described the collection as offering a rare, personal glimpse into Gandhi's thinking during the final years of British rule. "What makes this collection particularly compelling is the opportunity to see one of the most significant figures in...