The Timid Child Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born in Porbandar Porbandar India on October 2 1869 His father was the diwan or political leader of that coastal city The Gandhi family belonged to the Vaishya caste and observed traditions from both the Hindu religion and Jainism Jainism His mother’s deep religious devotion made a strong impression on Mohandas The youngest child in a large family Mohan as he was called was a timid boy Snakes thieves and ghosts all frightened him and he had a terror of the dark Mohan was also painfully shy He spent much of his time reading and studying though he was just an average student Like many adolescents he went through a rebellious period during which he broke rules Hindu families traditionally arranged marriages for their children At age thirteen Mohan married a girl named Kasturba a young bride his parents had chosen for him Eventually the couple would have four sons together 6
This is the earliest known photo of Mohandas Gandhi dating from about 1876 He is seven in the photo According to Hindu tradition his forehead is marked with a red dot called a bindi 7
A VEGETARIAN IN LONDON When Gandhi was eighteen he traveled by steamship from Bombay Bombay now Mumbai to London to attend law school He left behind his wife and their new baby son While he studied to become a barrister Gandhi struggled to adjust to life in this new very cosmopolitan city He adopted Western clothing and manners but he felt awkward awkward Adjusting to bland British food proved especially difficult Many Hindus practice vegetarianism and this was true of Gandhi’s family Very few restaurants in Victorian London served vegetarian vegetarian food but Gandhi eventually found one His diet brought him into contact with some interesting people in British society The rebels socialists and humanists that Gandhi came to 8
know included the Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw In London Gandhi read the Bible and the great Indian epic poem the Mahabharata The three years he spent there helped to shape the person he would eventually become The epic the Mahabharata features tales of the gods This 1755 painting depicts a procession in honor of Vishnu one of the most important figures in the Hindu pantheon 9
