"I am a poor mendicant. My earthly possessions consist of six spinning wheels, prison dishes, a can of goat's milk, six homespun loincloths and towels, and my reputation which cannot be worth much"
Ghandi in remark to customs official at Marseilles, September 11, 1931. in D.G. Tendulkar, Mahatmar: The life of Mohandas Karamchand Ghandi.
A visit to one of Ghandi's Ashrams in Svengram was very interesting - still a functioning ashram with many residents busy at work. The simple mud huts, the honest work and the friendly ashramites was incredibly welcoming.
The place where I was staying in town was also home to a weaving company. Ghandi was passionate about the importance of handweaving - both for the importance of honest hand craft for personal development and for the benefit of supplementing family agricultural activity with supplementary income that simultaneously could bring independence to Indian from imported British fabrics (produced from Indian grown cotton). Still very vibrant today, the company makes khadi from organic cotton, handspun and weaved every step of the way, died with natural dyes and block prints before being sold to mostly local buyers who make use of their tailoring service as well. Need I say more?
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