Father
Karamchand Gandhi
Diwan of Porbandar and later Rajkot; known for practical judgment, courage and loyalty.
The person behind the public figure
Family & Personal Life
Gandhi's closest relationships included devotion, partnership and deep conflict. Understanding them makes his life more human—and more complicated.
The Gandhi household
Mother
Putlibai Gandhi
Deeply religious, observant and compassionate. Her vows and fasting profoundly influenced Gandhi.
Wife and fellow satyagrahi
Kasturba Gandhi
Married Gandhi in 1883. She endured prison, led women in protest and died in detention at Aga Khan Palace in 1944.
Eldest son, 1888–1948
Harilal Gandhi
His troubled relationship with his father exposed the painful cost Gandhi's public mission imposed on his family.
Second son, 1892–1956
Manilal Gandhi
Worked at Phoenix Settlement and edited Indian Opinion in South Africa for decades.
Third son, 1897–1969
Ramdas Gandhi
Joined campaigns and lit his father's funeral pyre at Rajghat.
Youngest son, 1900–1957
Devdas Gandhi
Journalist and later managing editor of the Hindustan Times; married Lakshmi, daughter of C. Rajagopalachari.
Daily life and discipline
Gandhi rose early for prayer, walked, spun cotton, answered a huge correspondence and held communal meals. He simplified his clothing after seeing India's poverty, adopted vegetarianism, practised nature cure and observed a weekly day of silence.
His vows—especially brahmacharya from 1906—and experiments in diet and self-restraint were central to his search for truth. Some later experiments and his treatment of his wife and sons remain controversial and should be studied critically rather than idealised.