Mahatma Gandhi's manuscript notes fetch record $1.7 million at auction in Mumbai

(Central News Agency, Mumbai, comprehensive foreign news report on the 21st) A batch of notes written by Mahatma Gandhi, who led the Indian independence movement, was auctioned in Mumbai for US$1.7 million (approximately NT$54 million), setting a record for an Indian historical document auction.

Agence France-Presse reported that Mumbai auction company Saffronart said the manuscripts were preserved by the family of Anand T Hingorani, a close friend of Gandhi and an Indian independence activist.

This notebook contains 688 personal words written by Gandhi to Singolani after his wife passed away. It was later compiled into a book "A Thought for the Day" (tentative translation).

The texts were written between 1944 and 1946 and cover topics such as truth, God and non-violence.

Saffronart announced yesterday through a statement: "'Daily Thoughts'... sold for US$1.7 million, setting a record for the highest price ever paid for an Indian historical document at auction."

Dinesh Vazirani, co-founder of Saffronart, said: "The most fascinating thing about this collection is that it allows people to get a glimpse into the inner world of one of the most important figures in Indian history through an intimate and personal relationship."