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2 OCT · BIRTHPLACE · PORBANDARGandhi Jayanti
Porbandar is the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi. On 2 October his hometown honours him with prayers and tributes at Kirti Mandir, the memorial beside the haveli where he was born.
The birthplace of the Mahatma
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born in Porbandar on 2 October 1869, in the family haveli in the old town. Beside that ancestral home stands Kirti Mandir, a memorial temple built to honour him, its tower rising to a symbolic height. Each year Gandhi Jayanti — a national holiday marking his birthday — brings prayer meetings, the singing of his favourite bhajans, tributes and a stream of visitors to his birthplace.
Gandhi Jayanti at Porbandar keeps a homely register the national holiday elsewhere cannot: morning prayers at Kirti Mandir, all-faith bhajan sessions, schoolchildren’s processions through the lanes Gandhi’s own childhood walked, and the quiet queue through the haveli to stand a moment at the marked birth spot. The town treats the day as a family anniversary more than a state occasion — which is, of course, exactly right.
Visitors joining the day should come early, dress simply, and let the memorial’s own programme set the pace; the rest of the Gandhi circuit — Sudama Mandir, Bharat Mandir, the seafront — fills the afternoon.
Born in the old town
Gandhi was born in Porbandar on 2 October 1869, in the family haveli.
The house still stands, its birth spot marked with a swastika on the floor.
Kirti Mandir rose beside it in 1950 as the birthplace memorial.
Gandhi Jayanti, his birthday, brings the town's great annual observance.
Why come
Mahatma Gandhi
Porbandar owns the claim no other town can — he was born right here.
Kirti Mandir
Kirti Mandir's 79-foot spire counts his years in feet.
The haveli
The preserved haveli anchors the memorial complex.
Prayer meets
Jayanti brings prayers, bhajans and the spinning of charkhas.
Gandhi library
The galleries trace the life from this lane to the world.
National day
October 2nd is honoured across India — and first of all here.
What to see
THE MEMORIALKirti Mandir
Temple and museum.
THE DAY2 October
Prayers and tributes.
How to experience it
Come on 2 Oct
Gandhi’s birthday.
Visit Kirti Mandir
The memorial temple.
See the birth room
Marked with a swastika.
Join the prayers
Bhajans are sung.
Read his story
At the library.
Walk the old town
Lanes of his youth.
A quiet homage to a great life
Gandhi Jayanti in Porbandar is dignified rather than showy — in keeping with the man it remembers. The day centres on Kirti Mandir, where the birth room is preserved and marked, and a library and small museum trace the arc from a Porbandar boy to the leader of India’s freedom struggle. For many visitors, standing in the modest house where the Mahatma was born is the most moving part of the day.
Our Porbandar travel guide maps out the other places worth your time here.
Timing
The birthday.
Best to visit.
Warm and humid.
⏰ Gandhi Jayanti falls on 2 October; Kirti Mandir and the birthplace are open through the year and best in the cooler months.
Getting there
By Air
Porbandar airport.
By Rail
Porbandar station.
By Road
Central old town.
More in Porbandar
MARCH–APR
Madhavpur Mela
A vibrant fair marking Krishna & Rukmini’s wedding. Explore →
HERITAGE
Maritime Trade
Porbandar is an old Arabian Sea port with centuries of seafaring — its sailors traded across to Africa and the Gulf, and in legend the town of Sudamapuri was home to Sudama, Krishna’s boyhood friend. Explore →
COAST
Fishing Culture
Life in Porbandar turns on the sea — harbours crowded with wooden boats, the daily catch coming ashore, and fishing communities whose rhythms are set by the tides of the Arabian Sea. Explore →
FOOD
Khaja Tradition
Porbandar’s best-loved sweet is Khaja — a crisp, flaky, deep-fried delicacy of paper-thin layers, a local specialty that travellers carry home by the boxful as a gift. Explore →
What to eat
THALIKathiyawadi Thali
A hearty spread.
SWEETPorbandari Khaja
Crisp and flaky.
FARSANFarsan
Savoury snacks.
CHAASChaas
Spiced buttermilk.
Gandhi Jayanti FAQ
Why is Porbandar linked to Gandhi?
It is his birthplace — Mahatma Gandhi was born here on 2 October 1869 in his family’s haveli.
What is Kirti Mandir?
A memorial temple built beside Gandhi’s ancestral home to honour him, with a library and small museum.
When is Gandhi Jayanti?
On 2 October, Gandhi’s birthday, observed as a national holiday across India.
What happens on the day?
Prayer meetings, the singing of his favourite bhajans, tributes and many visitors to the birthplace.
Can I see the room he was born in?
Yes — the birth room in the haveli is preserved and marked, next to Kirti Mandir.
How do I reach Porbandar?
By its own airport and railway station, or by road from Rajkot and Somnath.
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Published 24 June 2026 · Updated 3 July 2026