Raj Ghat – Mahatma Gandhi Memorial in New Delhi, India

Raj Ghat is a memorial dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi in New Delhi India. This memorial is where Mahatma Gandhi was cremated after his assassination in 1948. This is a beautiful open-air memorial is built along the River Yamuna, with beautiful landscaping; a black marble platform with an eternal flame marks the spot where he was cremated.

Raj Ghat – Details

Location:
You can reach Raj Ghat by auto-rickshaw, a private driver or via Uber.

Cost:
Raj Ghat is free for locals and foreigners

Hours: 6am – 7pm, 7 days/week

Other:
No food is allowed in the memorial. You will need to remove your shoes if you want to walk up to his memorial platform. If you don’t want to remove your shoes, you can still see the memorial from walking around the surrounding gardens.

Events:
On Fridays, there is a prayer ceremony at 5pm. There are also special events on October 2nd (his birthday) and January 30 (his death).

Visiting Raj Ghat

Raj Ghat is a peaceful spot in otherwise chaotic Delhi, so if you’re looking for a spot to reflect, Raj Ghat is a nice escape from the hustle and bustle. Plaques of Gandhi quotes written in both Hindi and English are displayed along the pathways to the memorial.

The grounds of Raj Ghat are impeccably well-kept. It is pristine – there is no litter and everything on the grounds is pristine. The memorial itself is simple, which is a reflection on how Gandhi lived his life.

If you want to walk up to the memorial platform, you will need to remove your shoes before you enter this area. There is a free shoe check. During my visit, I just enjoyed walking around the surrounding garden walls of Raj Ghat – I did not walk up to the Gandi memorial and eternal flame. At the time of my visit, I was suffering from severe plantar fasciitis from running, so it was extremely difficult (well, impossible) for me to walk without shoes on, so I just enjoyed it from afar.

There are other memorials within this complex for other Indian leaders, but I haven’t had the chance to visit them yet.

Raj Ghat – Final Thoughts

While I enjoyed my time at the Mahatma Gandhi memorial, I don’t feel like this is a must-see in Delhi. Many visitors start their India adventure in Delhi, but only have 1-2 days in the area before moving on. I feel other Delhi attractions, such as Humayans Tomb, Qutub Minar, Old Delhi, and Red Fort are a better use of your time here, so unless you’re in Delhi for a while, this would be one attraction I would skip.

Pros:
Peaceful, quiet, respectful memorial
Lots of green space to get away from the Delhi chaos
Free

Cons:
If your time in Delhi is limited, I would skip Raj Ghat.