Gandhi Statue

An incredibly well done monument to «Mahatma» Gandhi, a relative of mine, but more famous for leading India, & therefore Pakistan, and its eastern part which became Bangladesh, to independence from the British. He was also an important Hindu and Indian social reformer, critical of inequalities in India and also critical of predatory proselytization by western Christian missionaries. He lived a life of spiritual pursuit, & while some may not like some of his positions, he sacrificed his life for certain principals & was a spiritual man at his core. This monument has several quotes in the area surrounding his statue. The Indian embassy is across the street.

A statue that many people will probably not go out of their way to visit. Living in Dupont Circle for the Summer, I walked by the statue quite a bit. Not once did I see anyone taking pictures of it or in front of it. I think it’s something one can appreciate and gaze upon from their car or while walking/​cycling by and understand what Gandhi strove for and represented.
If you do want to take a picture right next to the statue, you can comfortably stand on the block where he is on as I didn’t see any sign prohibiting one to do so. But perhaps out of respect, you shouldn’t.

The statue is well done and I have nothing wrong with Gandhi himself. I am only giving fewer stars because there are so many statues in DC that are more impressive (Lincoln for instance).
It’s also, like one reviewer said, surprisingly quiet given where it is which is nice.

A powerful symbol that rightfully stands on the street that defines America and its interactions with the world. Naturally in front of the Indian Embassy, it stands as a reminder for the message of peace and hope that is universal to all humans, especially Americans.
A surprising place of quiet contemplation, even though the cars may be whizzing by. Take a seat and read the few quotes by his side that not only inspired a nation to independence but also the American nation to rise up against injustice during the Civil Rights Era.
He’s not just a symbol for India, but anyone who cherishes the freedom they enjoy.

A moving tribute to a peacemaker, located on a little triangle of land in the midst of Embassy Row. The statue is not well located for a destination unto itself, but that makes it all the more touching when one comes across it. A few times I have found myself passing by in the evening, when devotees have lit tealight candles and left behind marigold flowers, which makes me want to offer up a wordless prayer for peace.

I pass this every day on the way to work. Each time I see it, I swell with a sense of inspiring awe and wonder… by which I mean, inside I’m screaming «WTF!» I see this and it makes me want to eat a hamburger out of sheer spite.
The best way I can think of describing this statue is: Retarded In Bronze…
This statue is here only because Americans — for some reason I can’t fathom — have to find foreign «heroes.» I guess it’s sort of the same mentality that built the «noble savage» image of Native Americans long ago.
Looking for heroes outside our country — in itself — isn’t bad, but we’ve become such a bunch of xenophiliacs since the 1960s that we’ll take anything… and Gandhi is a perfect example. Americans like Gandhi for exactly one reason: Because they don’t know sh*t about him. (See, I do have a point.)
There’s absolutely no reason this Mr. Magoo looking tool should have a statue in DC. In fact, I’ll go so far as to say there’s some pretty good reasons that this statue should be removed:
1) His revolutionary idea of resisiting the government thru civil disobedience — yeah, he stole that from Henry David Thoreau (and I don’t see any statues of him here);
2) He did NOTHING for this country (somehow I doubt there’s a Washington statue in Bombay);
3) He’s wearing — essentially — a diaper (get hip to the Bronze Age dude);
4) He didn’t really like «Western Civilization» (that includes the US for those who aren’t in the know)…if I made the same statements about other cultures/​peoples that Gandhi made, SPLC would call it hate-​speech (why would any country errect a statue of a foreigner who didn’t like them because of who they were? What’s next? Bin Laden statue in NYC?);
5) Gandhi quote: «[Africans] are as a rule uncivilised – the convicts even more so. They are troublesome, very dirty and live almost like animals.»
6) Another Gandhi quote: ««We believe as much in the purity of race as we think they do… We believe also that the white race in South Africa should be the predominating race.»
(In case you missed it, there’s hypocrisy and stupidity in DC having a statue of an apartheid supporter.)
I say we do something useful with this statue… like melt it down and turn it into pennies. Or better yet commemorative «Eat a cow for Gandhi!» coins.

A nice dedication to Gandhi in our nation’s capital. Located near Dupont Circle, this tribute is larger than the Gandhi statue in New York in Union Square.

Gandhi, mid-​stride, with staff in hand…
A fascinating corrective to the nearby institutions of power and money. Each time I come across this statue, often on an evening stroll through the neighborhood, his words catch me afresh and stick in my mind far beyond the time spent there.
«Whenever you are in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test. Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man whom you have seen and ask yourself if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him. Will he gain anything by it? Will it restore him to a control over his own life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to swaraj for the hungry and spiritually starving millions? Then you will find your doubts and your self melting away.»