Sevagram
Sevagram is a small village near Wardha town (8 km). Mahatma Gandhi reached the village on the 30th April,1936 early in the morning at about 5 a.m. He remained here for about five to six days. He called the villagers and the purpose of his visit and sought their permission to settle down here. He had no intention to keep anybody with him except his wife Kasturba. However slowly pressure of work necessitated permission to more colleagues till Sevagram Ashram also became a full-fledged institution.
He was 67 years when he came to Sevagram. In those days the village was surrounded by forest on all sides. Snakes and scorpions were a common feature. There was only one footpath or cart track to Wardha. No post-office or telegraph office existed. There letters used to be brought from Wardha. There is another village in this region named Shegaon, made famous by the residence of Saint Gajanan Maharaj. Hence Gandhiji’s letters used to get misdirected. Therefore, it was decided in 1940 to name this village as SEVAGRAM or the village of service
Ashram Huts
Meera Ben (Miss Madelene Slade) was already settled in Sevagram before Gandhiji. At that time there was not even an approach road for the village. One make-shift road was soon constructed. A metalled road was constructed by the Government, when a Congress ministry was formed in the Central Provinces in 1937 under the scheme of provincial autonomy.
Gandhiji had put one condition for the construction of his hut (now known as Adi Niwas). Not more than Rs.500/ be spent on the hut and it be built with material available to serve food to inmates and then used to take his meals. He lived in one corner of the hut.
Paunar – Paramdham Ashram
Paramdham Ashram is established by Acharya Vinoba Bhave in the year 1934 on the bank of river Dham in Paunar village five miles way from Wardha. Vinobaji longed for self-realisation and left home in search of ‘Brahma’. Further he thought, Gandhiji’s Ashram would show the light he aspired for and so joined it.
After an inner call, he left Paunar and initiated unending Padayatra, the march for Gramdan and Bhoodan (Donation of land for landless peoples).
Click to enlargeThe idea of Brahma Vidya was crystallised in 1958 during his morning walks with his associates. Vinobaji recognized that the real freedom can come to a group mind, working through the group. However, ‘Bharat Chhode’ movement is also continued from this ashram with his leadership.
The river Dhan flows in Paunar in which Gandhiji’s asthi were desoved.
Bor Dam
In Selu Taluka, village Bori is 32 K.M. away from Wardha. A dam is constructed on river Bor near village. The premises of Dam is having the beautiful garden and there is a reserve forest developed by declaring it as tourist place. This place is full of flora and fauna having hills with dense forest over there.
Girad
Girad is 59 KM away from Wardha and it is in Samudrapur Tahasil. There is a Tomb of Shaikh Farid baba a famous sant of Muslim. It is also tell that, the sant is in standing reverse position and doing the prayer. The temple of Lord Ram is also there on bank of a lake near the sant’s tomb. On the Ram Nawami festival, huge yaatra helds here. Also in the ten days period of festival Muharram, religious integrity can be seen here.