From the
Spinnaker Newspaper, the Official Newspaper of the University of North Florida:
"Oct. 1 [2006] marked the unveiling of an 8-foot, 1,500-pound bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi on the campus of the University of North Florida. The unveiling was one of a host of activities held during the Gandhi Day celebration.
The event kicked off with a peace walk from the Fine Arts Center to the monument site between Buildings 1 and 2. After the walk, a moment of silence was observed to honor the memory of the bronze statue's famed subject. A violin recital was also held before the unveiling of the new addition to campus.
The statue was donated to UNF by the Gandhi Memorial Society of Jacksonville. Ashok Bazaz, the president of the Gandhi Memorial Society, said he hopes the statue will positively influence the students and faculty of UNF.
According to UNF Vice President Chief of Staff, Thomas Serwatka, the total cost of the statue was $70,000 and was paid in full by the Gandhi Memorial Society of Jacksonville. The statue's base cost an additional fee of $33,000, which the society also paid for in conjunction with Elkins Construction.
The statue was designed by Jasu Shilpi, a pre-eminent sculptor who was dubbed "The Bronze Woman of India" for her mastery of her chosen medium. She won the award of "Woman of the Year" at the 27th International Millennium Congress on Arts and Communications in Washington, D.C in 2000. During the ceremony, Shilpi said that she felt lucky to have been chosen by the Gandhi Memorial Society to design such a statue, and that she was honored that she could do so for UNF.
Mahatma Gandhi was born Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi in Porbandar, India on Oct. 2, 1869. He was the leader of the Indian Nationalist movement and played a large part in India achieving its independence from Great Britain. He formulated a method of nonviolence and civil disobedience, which he called Satyagraha. It was instrumental in fighting the injustices of colonialism and racism that plagued the Indian populace. He participated in a number of marches and fasts to help to peacefully instigate social changes. Martin Luther King Jr. often cited Gandhi as a great influence on his own crusade for equality. The name "Mahatma" means great soul, according to the pamphlet made by the Intercultural Center for PEACE in honor of the Gandhi Day celebration."