The painting had never been up for auction before and is believed to be the only oil portrait for which Mahatma Gandhi sat.

Mahatma Gandhi, born Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, became the leading figure in India's struggle against Great Britain's rule. He was a lawyer, politician, social activist and writer.

Mohandas Karamchand “Mahatma” Gandhi remains, even 75 years after his assassination, a useful symbol for many in India.For secularists, the leader of the country’s independence movement ...

How Mahatma Gandhi changed political protest. ... Nat Geo Image Collection. By then, Gandhi had become a national icon, and was widely referred to as Mahatma, Sanskrit for great soul or saint.