Vijay Mallya buys Mahatma Gandhi memorabilia worth Rs 9 crore

Amid high drama, auction takes place in New York; Vijay Mallya buys Mahatma Gandhi memorabilia saved India's pride, says Tushar Gandhi

Amid high drama, auction takes place in New York; Vijayu00a0Mallya buys Mahatma Gandhi memorabilia saved India's pride, says Tushar Gandhi

Confusion prevailed for hours in the run up to the auction of the Gandhi memorabilia late last night, but Bapu's belongings, which included his iconic round-rimmed spectacles, were finally bought by liquor tycoon Vijay Mallya for Rs 9.3 crore ($1.8 million) in New York amid high drama.

Coming home: The memorabilia, including Gandhi's iconic spectacles, a 1910 silver Zenith pocket watch, sandals, a bowl and a thali, at the auction house. Pic/AFP

Bapu's family could not be happier that the possessions are returning home.

Tushar Gandhi, the Mahatma's great-grandson, said, "No one must have thought that Gandhi's items would be sold for such a high amount. I am feeling proud that the items have come to India, and have been bought by an Indian. I am very grateful to Mallya. He saved India's pride."

Gandhi also said that though the auction was riddled in controversy, he believed that everything happened for the best. "We didn't know that he was one of the bidders till the last moment," he added.

A representative of Mallya, Tony Bedi, placed the winning bid at New York's Antiquorum Auctioneers auction house despite protests in India and an injunction from Delhi High court seeking to halt the sale. Bedi later announced that the belongings, which also include a 1910 silver Zenith pocket watch, sandals, a bowl, a thali and letters of authenticity, would be returned to India for public display, but it was not clear whether they would be turned over to the government, as some officials have demanded.

He also added that his client (Mallya) is "really pleased with the purchase", as "he is bringing the heritage of the items back to India".

Though Gandhi said he did not want to make any suggestions to Mallya about what to do with Bapu's belongings, it would be nice if they were kept in the Gandhi Museum in Delhi.

"This museum is built for preserving such valuables, which allow more and more people to see it," he said.
But it may take a while till the memorabilia make their way to India. Though Mallya may have won the bid he will have to wait for two weeks before he gets possession of the items.

The US justice department has asked the auction house to hold the lot for two weeks pending a resolution between the new owner and the US and Indian governments.

(Inputs from agencies)

Gandhi memorabilia 'automatically' come to Navjivan Trust

It is through Gandhi's will prepared on February 20, 1940, that the Navjivan Trust can stake claim to his belongings. In his will, Gandhi said "anything which by social convention or in law is considered mine, anything movable or immovable, books, articles etc. I endow to the Navjivan Institution whom I hereby declare as my heirs." The Trust believes items like the ones auctioned, "formed part of Gandhiji's property and automatically fell in the Trust's ownership."

Not the first for Mallya

When the sword of Tipu Sultan went under the hammer at a London auction house four years ago, Mallya coughed up Rs 4 crore to bring it back to India