Between 1908 and 1909, Mahatma Gandhi shared this house with his friend Hermann Kallenbach, a German–Jewish architect who designed the space. The house was built a year earlier by Kallenbach, who drew inspiration from the Kraal, an African farm. The house features two rondavels, which are circular rooms resembling traditional South African huts. The house is also characterised by a thatched roof and a typical white-washed facade located in Orchards, which was then on the outskirts of Johannesburg. The house also had stables and a tennis court, typical amenities of wealthy Europeans at that time.
It was in this house where Gandhi dedicated himself to a simple meditative lifestyle and the development of his philosophy of Satyagraha, a form of passive resistance and non-violent civil disobedience that remains influential today.
After Gandhi and Kallenbach left the house in 1909, it went through several owners over the decades. In 2009, the French travel company, Voyageurs du Monde, bought the house. This explains the French influence in the place, including French translations for everything.
The museum exhibits include various photos, correspondence, journal entries. Photo: Manuel Zublena.
Satyagraha House, now a Johannesburg heritage site, is a beautiful guesthouse and museum dedicated to Gandhi's principles and offers visitors a contemplative and spiritual experience. The museum exhibits include various photos, correspondence, journal entries, and beautifully displayed inspirational quotes spread across the various guesthouse buildings and the tranquil garden at its centre.
There is a reason why artists and writers sometimes take up residency and spend time here to work. The space is beautiful and peaceful and it's unique in every sense – a calm, introspective, and historical place set amongst but far removed from the bustle of the city.
Satyagraha House also provides a variety of well-being services such as massages, meditation and yoga, and provides vegetarian meals for lunch or dinner. You can purchase souvenirs like books and CDs to learn more about Gandhi, Satyagraha, and Johannesburg. Candles and beauty products are available so that you can take the serenity of Satyagraha House home with you.
