Gandhi's South Africa Home Sold
French tourism company buys Gandhi's Johannesburg house
A French tourism company has bought a house in South Africa where Indian independence hero Mahatma Gandhi lived.
Voyageurs du Monde is believed to have paid $377,029 for the house, outbidding many others including Indian bidders.
The Johannesburg house was put up for sale after the owner said she failed to find an institution interested in preserving the building's legacy.
Gandhi lived there for three years from 1907 when he began to formulate his philosophy of non-violent resistance.
According to reports, Voyageurs du Monde plans to turn the property - informally called "the Kraal" - into a Gandhi museum.
Gandhi lived in South Africa for 21 years, working as a lawyer and activist.
He fought for the right of Indians in the country to be treated as citizens - a feat he eventually achieved before returning to his homeland.
Mahatma Gandhi is revered as the father of the Indian nation and his philosophy of non-violence has won him followers around the world.
American artist Nancy Ball has lived in Gandhi's Johannesburg house for 25 years, but is now moving away.
She told South African paper, The Times, that Indians who had visited the house had always found it an interesting experience.
"We believe he left a lot of his peace here. It's a very special place," she said.
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