Gandhiji's pocket watch, glasses on auction in London

London, Feb 12: A rare auction is set to grab attention in London. A pair of distinctive circular metal-rimmed glasses of Mahatma Gandhi, his sandals, pocket watch, a bowl and plate will be for sale at an auction in London. The items are expected to exceed an estimate of 30,000 pounds at the March 4-5 auction, the Daily Telegraph reported.

The items were of letters of provenience and were collected by an unnamed vendor who is putting them on a sale now.

Gandhi had given the spectacles to an army colonel H A Shiri Diwan Nawab in 1930 saying, "These gave me the vision to free India."

The sandals were given to a British army officer in 1931 prior to the Round Table talks in London that were held to discuss Indian self-rule, the report said.

Gandhi's grand-niece, Abha Gandhi was given the zenith pocket watch, made in about 1910. Gandhi was pictured wearing the pocket watch and is expected to be the main attraction of the lot.

Michelle Halpern, from Antiquorum Auctioneers in New York, which is staging the auction, said: "This is a truly historic sale of Gandhi's possessions. Of course he didn't have much, so anything of his that comes up for sale is worth that much more."

"The glasses were given in the 1930s to Colonel H A Shiri Diwan Nawab who asked Gandhi for inspiration. Gandhi gave him the glasses and said: 'These gave me the vision to free India,'" Halpern told the paper.

"They were passed down through the colonel's family and we have a letter of provenance from his grandson. The sandals were given to a British military officer in 1931 prior to the Round Table talks in London."

"The items were put together by a collector who is now selling them and there has already been a great deal of interest. I'm sure the items will sell for more than the estimate," he said.

OneIndia News (With inputs from Agencies)