The Eternal Gandhi Museum Houston (EGMH) is proud to announce the opening of this world class museum to the public on Tuesday, August 15, which is coincidentally the 77th anniversary of India’s Independence Day. It is but a small tribute to the architect of India’s independence, Mahatma Gandhi, who freed India from the British Colonial Rule. He spearheaded the freedom struggle against the British by courageously deploying Truth and Nonviolence – A Force More Powerful. Please visit the museum to learn about Truth and Nonviolence and Gandhi’s universal influence on global peace leaders.
EGMH is the only free-standing museum in all of America dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi by preserving and promoting his most significant legacy, nonviolent conflict resolution. The museum’s address is 12379 Riceville School Road (@ Beltway 8 South), Houston, TX 77031.
The exhibit space takes the visitor through three distinct galleries:
- Gallery One – His Journey: Learn about the transformation of Mahatma Gandhi from a child of fear to a man of freedom.
- Gallery Two – Our Journey: Learn how global peace leaders have followed into Mahatma Gandhi’s footsteps to bring about profound social change around the world. Learn about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Lech Walesa, Nelson Mandela, Betty Williams, Mairead Corrigan, and others who used nonviolent conflict resolution in their work for social justice.
- Gallery Three – My Journey: After learning about Mahatma Gandhi and global peace leaders, this gallery provides the visitor with a place to reflect and contemplate. It invites the visitor to make a personal commitment to be a catalyst for positive changes in their own lives and community – i.e.- “What is something you can do, large or small, that can make an impact on your own life and environment?” How can you “Be the change you wish to see in the world?”
EGMH started on this journey in 2016 when one of its Trustees and Co-Founder, Atul Kothari, returned from India with offer from Eternal Gandhi Multimedia Museum in Delhi of Aditya Birla Group to host a travelling exhibit in Houston. The EGMH Board consisting of Sesh Bala, Dr. Barkat Charania, Sanjay Jain, G V Krishnan, Devinder Mahajan, Ajit Paralkar, Namita Sutaria and Dr. Manish K Wani immediately agreed to host and establish a new civic asset – the Eternal Gandhi Museum Houston.
It has been a long and exciting journey. With the Almighty’s grace, our dreams have turned into reality.
One of the earliest supporters of the museum was the Houston Endowment Foundation. To date, they have donated $750,000 for the construction of EGMH. Another major endorsement came from Congressman Al Green when he sponsored a grant of $3 million under Community Project Funding of Department of Housing and Urban Development. Under the leadership of Fort Bend County Judge K P George, the Fort Bend County Commissioners approved a grant of $475,000. Dr Anne Chao, Chair of the Advisory Board, has donated $500,000 through her various foundations. EGMH is truly fortunate and grateful to all our donors, large and small, supporters, and volunteers of EGMH.
EGMH was fortunate to put together an All-star team for the establishment of this historic project.
The journey began with the selection of RDLR Architects and Lorie Westrick, the Principal of the firm. The Charkha, the spinning wheel (referenced in the teachings of Gandhi) inspired her masterful museum design. We engaged the services of Brian Crockett, a museum consultant with Smithsonian background. He has superbly guided the trajectory of the museum from day 1. EGMH was fortunate to select Solid Light, Inc., Cynthia Torp, CEO, from Louisville, Kentucky as the exhibit designer. They have masterfully planned, designed, fabricated, and installed all the museum galleries.
To gain inspiration for the museum, the Board, Architect, and Solid Light went on a whirlwind tour to India in February 2020 visiting 6 different Gandhi museums in 4 different cities in 5 days.
Honor Moorman has also been involved since inception as our education consultant. She has ensured that the docent-led museum tours are TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills) compliant, so that children can visit the museum as a school-sponsored field trip. Our vision is that every child in the Houston Metropolitan area visits the museum at least once before graduating from high school.
The Consul General of India Aseem Mahajan facilitated the donation of the Mahatma Gandhi Statue from the Government of India. Sanjay Khanna of Superior Granite and Marble By Vivaldi, was instrumental in producing the granite figures that are prominently embedded in the facade of the museum. The museum builder is TDK Construction owned by Dhansukh (Dan) Khatri and his daughter Tina, who managed the entire construction from inception.
As they say, seeing is believing! All visitors who were given a hard tour of the museum have said without exception — one can fully appreciate and grasp the scope of the museum only after visiting the museum in person. So please do make plans to visit with your friends and family.
We are extremely excited for the opening of Eternal Gandhi Museum Houston and have no doubt this world class facility will develop into another crown jewel for our great, diverse city of Houston.
The museum has a state-of-the art auditorium which is available for birthdays, anniversaries, conferences, performances, and other celebrations. The auditorium can accommodate up to 108 people.
The museum has many volunteering opportunities, and anyone can register to volunteer on our website at www.egmh.org.
To date, we have raised $8 million of the total construction budget of $10 million. To support this project, please help spread the word and follow us on our social media platforms – Facebook and Instagram – @egmhouston. To learn more and donate, please visit www.egmh.org, call 832-850-EGMH, or email info@egmh.org.
We look forward to seeing you at the museum! You can purchase your tickets online at www.egmh.org
