The Inanda Heritage Route is a Tourism Month drawcard
Gandhi’s Phoenix Settlement forms part of the Inanda Heritage Route.
SEPTEMBER sees the celebration of both Heritage Day and Tourism Month, and there is no better time to explore your own city, visit tourist attractions and learn more about the history surrounding you.
Gandhi’s Phoenix Settlement is located in Inanda, an area that is said to be the cradle of democracy in our country. Gandhi was a lawyer, politician and social activist who protested against the apartheid-era government and British rule in his home country of India.
In the Inanda Valley, the paths of three great leaders overlap. Nelson Mandela, John Dube and Mahatma Gandhi all played their role in the history of the area and the country. The Inanda Heritage Route links Gandhi’s settlement; the first president of the ANC political party, John Dube’s place of birth, and the site of Nelson Mandela’s vote in the first democratic elections.
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Gandhi lived and practised law in South Africa after his arrival on our shores in 1893. He honed his philosophy of satyagraha, also referred to as peaceful or passive resistance, in this country. The leader was inspired by the Mariannhill Monastery community of Trappist monks and John Ruskin, resulting in him establishing a settlement promoting communal living in 1904, in Inanda.
The settlement included a printing press, clinic, school and homes for himself and his family, and followers. The building housing the press was rebuilt after it burnt down in the 1985 Inanda Riots. It now serves as a museum, partly focused on the weekly newspaper that was printed there from 1903 until 1961 – the Indian Opinion. Ghandi also published his first book using the press.
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Today’s visitors can view Gandhi’s home, the printing press building, Gandhi’s son’s house and a lecture venue in the Phoenix Interpretation Centre.
Before democracy, the settlement constituted an important node of resistance, drawing activists together from various areas. Other locations to visit on the Inanda Heritage Route include John Dube’s Ohlange Institute and the Inanda Seminary.
Visitors can book tours through Green Corridor at the Green Hub located at the uMngeni River mouth. Contact Durban Tourism for a list of tour guides or the Inanda Tourism Office for further information.
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