Sevagram was the fourth and last ashram established by Mahatma Gandhi. His first ashram or experimental community known as Phoenix Settlement was established near Durban in South Africa in 1904 to put into practice the ideals of John Ruskin’s work Unto This Last and to run Indian Opinion, a publication which he started in the year 1903 to serve the interests of Indian community there. His second ashram, Tolstoy Farm was established in 1910 near Johannesburg, a corollary to Phoenix Settlement during the second Satyagraha campaign against the Asiatic Registration Bill popularly known as Black Act. It was mainly to accommodate families of Satyagrahis and to lead a communitarian life he established this farm which he described as “cooperative commonwealth.” His third ashram was established at Kochrab near Ahmedabad in 1915 on his return to India from South Africa. He wanted to test in India the method of struggle he developed in South Africa and named it as ‘Satyagraha Ashram’, conveying both the goal and method of service. It was later shifted to the banks of river Sabarmati in 1917. Mahatma left this ashram on12 th March 1930 in the wake of historical Salt March with a solemn vow that he will return to the Ashram only when India gets independence from British rule.

It goes to the credit of Jamnalal Bajaj, who is regarded as the fifth son of Mahatma, for persuading Gandhi to settle down in Wardha and support him in the establishment of Ashram at Sevagram . Gandhi on his release from Yerwada Jail came to Wardha on September 23, 1933.He stayed in Bajajwadi that was the residence of Jamnalal Bajaj, which later turned into a national guest house for workers and leaders of freedom struggle. He started his Harijan tour from here on November 7 and returned to Wardha again on August 7, 1934.  This time he stayed in Satyagraha Ashram run by Vinoba Bhave at Wardha, presently known as the Mahila Ashram. It was during this period Gandhi decided to retire from the Indian National Congress. Finally, he resigned from the Congress on the 29 th of October. He decided to devote all his energies for the uplift of villages. On December 15, 1934, the All India Village Industries Association was formed at Wardha. Jamnalal Bajaj had donated twenty acres of land and a house to Gandhi which was later renamed as Maganwadi in the memory of Maganlal Gandhi, which became the headquarters of All India Village Industries Association.

The first village development work under the guidance of Mahatma was started at a small village known as Sindi. But he was in search of a typical village and it was Madeleine Slade (Miraben),a disciple of Gandhi from Britain, who selected the village Segaon, about four miles to the east of Wardha town. This village is in the central part of India around 75 kms.away from Nagpur. On April 30, 1936, Mahatma made this village Segaon as his home. He stayed in a makeshift arrangement under a guava tree there as his hut was not ready at that time. On his first visit, he stayed here only for a couple of days. It is pertinent to note that his concept of ashram underwent drastic changes during the Sevagram phase. He was 67 years old and he was not in favour of creating an ashram as a community of people away from the village. In fact he wanted to convert the whole village into an ashram. He wanted to stay alone in the village and Kasturba could join if she wanted. But in the course of time it was taking the form of an ashram. There was another place known as Shegaon and the letters addressed to Gandhi went there. Therefore, in 1940 the village was renamed as Sevagram. The word Sevagram literally means the village of service.

Sevagram Ashram differs from his other ashrams in terms of approach and its appearance. This ashram clearly depicts his ideological evolution and changing approach to life and philosophy. He wrote in Harijan in 1936. “You may be sure I am living now just the way I wish to live. What I might have done at the beginning, had I more light, I am doing now in the evening of my life, at the end of my career, building from the bottom up. Study my way of living here, study my surroundings, if you wish to know what I am. Village improvement is the only foundation on which conditions in India can be permanently ameliorated” Gandhi wanted his hut to be built using the materials available within the radius of 75 kms.and the cost not to exceed more than hundred rupees. Gandhiji’s hut was built as per his wish and his first hut was renamed as Adi Nivas after his death. This hut witnessed many important meetings and discussions which determined the future of India. The idea of Quit India movement took its shape in the first meeting held here. Similarly the preliminary deliberations of Individual Satyagraha were also held in this iconic building.

 
In the course of time a number of buildings and additional facilities were added to the Ashram like a hut for Kasturba Gandhi, the well known Bapukuti, which was originally used by Miraben and expanded as per the requirements of Gandhi, open prayer ground, his last residence, Prachurekuti built for treating a leprosy affected person, huts for his secretaries and other buildings. He explained to his Polish engineer friend Maurice Frydman why he was in a village like Sevagram with bare minimum facilities: “I am here to serve no one else but myself, to seek my own self- realisation through the service of these village folk…. The service to human beings becomes a necessary part of the endeavour, simply because the only way to find God is to see Him in his creation and try to be one with it. This can only be done by service to all. One has to serve the world through service to one’s own country.” This village became a symbol of Gandhi’s ideal of village service. In 1937, Gandhi came up with his ideas on Basic education which aimed at the all round development of body, mind and spirit. His scheme of Basic education was implemented throughout the country. It was during his Sevagram phase, he became more convinced about the efficacy of constructive work along with Satyagraha and in the 1940s he came up with his 18 fold constructive programme for the reconstruction of Indian villages. Gandhi wrote in Harijanbandhu,  in July 20,1940 “ Sevagram is to me a laboratory for ahimsa. If my experiment here were successful and I could find a solution for the little problems that confront me here, I am sure the same formula would provide me a solution for the bigger issues that today face us in the country. That is why I am so reluctant to leave Sevagram. It is my laboratory for Satyagraha. It is there that I expect to discover the key to India’s independence, not in Simla or New Delhi.”  Thus Sevagram Ashram was the laboratory for ideas and action.

Gandhi left Sevagram Ashram for Delhi on his way to Noakhali on 25 th August 1946. From Noakhali he returned to Delhi and was hoping to return to Sevagram on 2nd February1948. But unfortunately he was assassinated by a religious fundamentalist and that put an abrupt end to his life. But his life and message continues to remain a source of inspiration for people all over the globe. Sevagram ashram is a place of pilgrimage to understand his philosophy and life. Due to Gandhi’s presence, Sevagram/Wardha became the de-facto capital of India and it became a busy hub of a number of organizations and institutions including Mahila Seva Mandal,Magan Sangrahalaya, Rashtrabhasha Prachar Samity and many others. After Gandhi’s death Vinoba Bhave, Gandhi’s spiritual heir guided the Gandhian activities from his ashram at Paunar in Wardha. A number of institutions were established on similar lines even after the martyrdom of Gandhi that makes Sevagram/Wardha unique in the history of India. Gandhi’s ashram at Sevagram declares to the world the values of simplicity, limitation of wants and life in tune with nature. It continues to remain as a source of inspiration for ordinary people to noted philosophers and thinkers. In January 1978, Ivan Illich, a Croatian – Austrian philosopher came to Sevagram to inaugurate a conference. At the inaugural speech he talked about the message of Bapu’s hut. “Today in the morning while I was sitting in this hut where Mahatma Gandhi lived, I was trying to absorb the spirit of this concept and imbibe in me its message. There are two things about the hut which have impressed me greatly. One is its spiritual aspect and the other is the aspect of his amenities. I was trying to understand Gandhi’s point of view in regard to making the hut, I very much liked its simplicity, beauty and neatness. The hut proclaims the principle of love and equality with everybody. …This hut of Gandhi demonstrates to the world how the dignity of the common man can be brought up. It is also a symbol of happiness which we can derive from practicing the principles of simplicity, service and truthfulness.”

The inmates of the Ashram follow a lifestyle in accordance with eleven vows prescribed by Gandhi. Sevagram ashram receives a number of visitors from India and abroad and hosts a number of conferences, seminars, symposiums for people looking for alternatives and those engaged in creating a society based on values of peace, nonviolence and social justice. This ashram will become more and more important in days to come taking into consideration the emerging challenges which humanity is facing.