The objective of the Gandhi Memorial Museum (Gandhi Smarak Sangrahalaya) is to collect and preserve records and relics pertaining to Gandhiji including books by and on him, letters, paintings, photos, etc. This museum was originally started at Mumbai in 1949 and later in 1951 moved to New Delhi at No. 2, Man Singh Road. Thereafter, it had been shifted and housed in its own building near Rajghat. This museum has collected Gandhian literature in all major Indian and foreign languages, letters written by Gandhiji to thousands of persons in India and abroad, and photostat copies of many other records. Similarly, several photos, paintings, and meager personal belongings of Mahatma Gandhi have been got together. Some records of Gandhiji's prayer and speechcs have also been obtained from the Government ol India. The Gandhi Museum has arranged for the displays of the material.
The collections here pertain to the personal relics of Gandhiji, portraits and Gandhian literature. There are more than 70 exhibits including Gandhiji’s watch, spectacles, sandals, slippers (chappals), utensils used by him, one of the three bullets that ended his life, the blood-stained clothes at the time of his death. There are more than 700 selected photos depicting Gandhiji in the various stages ol his life and activity. The Ganghi Memorial Museum is enriching this collectiction by arranging for further additions. The museum is for educating the country in all aspects of Gandhiji’s life and ideals. It has been arranging not only the display in the museum, but also organizes exhibitions elsewhere.
There is a reference library in the museum containing books written by and about Gandhiji and other relevant literature useful for research on Gandhian thought, ideology and technicjue. At the moment there are thousands of books and hundreds of periodicals in various Indian and foreign languages such as English, French, German, Russian, Dutch, Italian, Swedish, Japanese, Chinese, Thai, Burmese, Indonesian, Portuguese, Spanish, etc. The reading room attached to the library has files of weekly papers founded by Gandhiji and about 40 magazines, weeklies and dailies are here available for reference. More than 5.000 photostate copies of Gandhiji’s letters, notes and petitions are available for consultation. In addition to reference service, documentation service is also available here. Film shows on Gandhiji's life are arranged too. The museum with its reference library containing valuable literature pertaining to Gandhiji’s life and ideals is very popular and attracts hundreds of visitors daily.