Auckland’s Mahatma Gandhi Centre

The origins of the Mahatma Gandhi Centre go back to 1937 when the Auckland Indian community bought the Gandhi Hall site. But the Great Depression and then World War-II put severe constraints for raising finances to develop the site, and as a result new development was postponed ro as many as eleven years, until 1948.

It took a small number of community members seven long years to raise the money thereafter and the hall was inaugurated on October 2, 1955, fittingly on Gandhi Jayanti day. Since then, the hall has grown from strength to strength becoming one of the most useful venues for the Indian community not only in Auckland but also in the country.

The original hall, though, soon became inadequate to house the growing Indian diaspora and by 1980, it was not even big enough to host a wedding. The association looked at many sites for developing the Hall in a bigger manner and in August 1990, bought the present site, which was the Findlay’s Bakery building for the sum of $1.9 million.

Money for the purchase was raised in a variety of ways. The original Gandhi Hall was worth $400,000.

There was $108,000 in the bank to which were added funds that were raised by members and supplemented by a loan of $350,000 from the ANZ Bank. The purchase was completed a year later in 1991.

The complex, though by no means complete, was opened by the then Prime Minister of New Zealand Hon Jim Bolger in May 1994. On the occasion, President Raman Patel said, “We are bringing a little bit of the Taj Mahal to Eden Terrace.”

Since those early days, the association has continually striven to develop the complex and it has taken twenty years and over $6 million to get to the present stage of the Centre.

The complex today stands on a one hectare plot and comprise a built up area of 75,000 feet. Most of the cash for the development of the complex was raised by families in amounts ranging from $3000 to $50,000.

The ASB Charitable Trust, the Auckland City Council and the Lotteries Commission also made large contributions. But the bulk of it all was raised by the lay people, the hundreds of Indian families of average financial means who also put in a lot of hard work as volunteers over two decades.

The year 2001 saw the completion of the Radha Krishna mandir, after five years of planning and further fund raising. This activity raised over a million dollars from the community. The Pran Pratishtha ceremony and rituals (cnsecration of the deities) was celebrated in June 2001.

Over the years, the Centre has received the blessings of a number of holy personages like Muniji, Shri Rameshbhai Oza and Murari Bapu. Several leaders have also graced the venue including political and business leaders, statesmen, Prime Ministers, Members of Parliament, Councillors and Mayors.

Visitors from India have included senior leaders like Pranab Mukherjee, heads of the Indian Army and Navy, successive High Commissioners and a number of Indian Members of Parliament.

The Mahatma’s 136th birth anniversary, October 2, 2005, was marked with the unveiling of the full size bronze statue that adorns the top of the centre at the main entrance of the building. The statue was sculpted in India, a process that took seven months, and was air freighted to Auckland.

A host of luminaries and dignitaries attended the unveiling including Mahatma Gandhi’s great grand daughter, Leela Gandhi, former Prime Minister Helen Clark, the then opposition leader Don Brash and former Auckland Mayor Dick Hubbard.

The venue has played host to some of the most significant social, cultural, religious and musical events and festivals throughout the last few decades. “It is the best investment we have made for the enrichment of the community,” says Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Shri Kanu Patel.

The Centre’s success is clearly attributable to the humble, ordinary members achieving extraordinary results with their commitment to fund raising, working selflessly and relentlessly towards its success – a contribution far greater than that made by the wealthy and professional individuals of the community.

On this anniversary occasion, the trustees and members of the Centre urge all members of the community to join in the efforts to help lay the foundation for building a new centre and a new building that reflects our rich culture, music, dance, architecture, art and heritage. A sum of about $20 million is what would be needed for this effort.