SEVENTY FIVE YEARS -- THE GREAT SALT MARCH in India 12th March to 6th April, 1930 - 12th March to 7th April, 2005 - Bring history alive.

On 12th March 1930 Mahatma Gandhi, then aged 61, started walking from Sabarmati Ashram with a band of 78 handpicked volunteers. Their destination was a beachhead 241 miles to the south, Dandi. On the 5th of April 1930, when Mahatma Gandhi and his band of followers reached Dandi, thousands had joined him en-route; the eyes of the world were riveted on this tiny and as yet insignificant beachside village in South Gujarat. Gandhi wrote on April 5th, 1930: "I want world sympathy in this battle of Right against Might." The Salt March is today acknowledged worldwide as the one event that shook the British Empire to its core. The year 2005 is the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Great Salt March. To commemorate this historic event on an international scale the Mahatma Gandhi Foundation proposes to organise a re-enactment of the Salt March. Commemorating 75 Years of the "Salt March"

There is no registration or participation fee for this march.

For event and participation details visit http://www.saltmarch.org.in

2005 Event The year 2005 will mark the 75th anniversary of the Salt March undertaken by a sixty one year old Mohandas K. Gandhi, the Mahatma and his band of 78 handpicked marchers. They walked 241 miles, in 24 days, from Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad to the tiny seaside hamlet of Dandi on the west coast of South Gujarat. Mahatma Gandhi Foundation, India, invites you to join an "International Walk for Peace, Justice and Freedom", from 12th March to 7th April, 2005; to commemorate the epic event. We give you the opportunity to relive the Great Salt March as it happened 75 years ago. Come walk in the footsteps of Gandhi and his band of marchers, camp at the places where they camped during the original march, hear inspirational and informative talks by contemporaries of Gandhiji and eminent historians, watch feature films and documentaries on the life of Mahatma Gandhi and the Indian Freedom Movement. See shows depicting India's rich cultural and folk art heritage every evening as you rest after walking down the same road as the one taken by the original marchers. Interact with the simple rural folk of Gujarat. We invite you to participate in an event that will be a physical challenge, a spiritual experience and an opportunity to do something good for a cause or to help a charity of your choice. As a reward to those who walk/bicycle the entire distance from Sabarmati to Dandi, we will present a specially crafted memento with the participant's name engraved on the base. For those who participate for certain distance or days only they will be given a certificate of participation, mentioning the distance covered by them.

Partnering Organisations: • Government of India, Department of Cultural Affairs • Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti • National Youth Project • Anhad - Act Now for Harmony and Democracy, Youth For Peace • M. K. Gandhi Institute for Non-Violence- USA • Center for Total Non-Violence - USA • Maharastra Institute of Technology

Program Highlights:

• "International Walk for Peace, Justice and Freedom."
• Dates: Saturday, March 12, 2005 to Thursday, April 7, 2005.
• Duration: 26 Days.
• Start and Finish: Sabarmati Ashram Ahmedabad to Dandi.
• Distance: 241 miles, 385.6 K.M. total.
• Participants will walk an average 9.64 mile per day for 25 days but the daily distance will vary since we will be walking according to the schedule followed by the original Salt Marchers, maximum distance to be walked in a day is 15 miles and minimum is 4 miles. The detailed schedule of dates, distance, afternoon halt, night halt and rest day is given under the section : Programme at www.saltmarch.org.in
• Torch/Candle Lit Night March: On one of the days of the March the second phase of walking will commence post dinner. This stage of the march will be converted into a late evening, night march. Participants will hold candles/torches as a homage to victims of violence and martyrs in the fight for peace, justice and freedom. The date and place will be announced later.

Cost: There is no fee asked by march organizers for registration or participation. Total days, 24. Partial participation is fine.

Price Includes:

• Simple food and lodging, as well as nightly lectures, discussions, films and cultural programs.
• International airfare to and from India will be secured by individual participants. The march start point is the major city of Ahmedabad, in the state of Gujarat, Western India. The historic end point is 241 miles to the south, the tiny seaside village of Dandi in South Gujarat. The actual end of the March will be Mumbai (Bombay), for ease of flights home. Therefore flights should be into Ahmedabad and out of Mumbai.

How to Register:

Make your reservation online now!

Contact Nadya with any questions about this trip, or call toll-free 1-800-497-1994 ext. 248.