The Indian community in Canberra came together on Friday, 2 October 2026, to commemorate the 157th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi with a floral tribute at his statue in Glebe Park.
The High Commission of India in Canberra organised the commemorative gathering at the Mahatma Gandhi Statue between 9am and 10am, inviting members of the community to pay their respects and remember Gandhi on Gandhi Jayanti. The event was held on his birth anniversary, which is observed annually on 2 October.
The ceremony at Glebe Park provided an opportunity for members of the Indian community and others attending the event to gather at one of Canberra’s public memorials dedicated to Gandhi. Floral tributes formed the central part of the commemoration, reflecting the longstanding practice of marking the occasion through public remembrance.
The Canberra gathering was part of wider Gandhi Jayanti commemorations taking place in India and around the world on 2 October. In 2026, the occasion marks 157 years since Gandhi’s birth in 1869.
Gandhi remains a significant historical figure associated with India’s independence movement and the philosophy of non-violent resistance. His ideas around non-violence, civil disobedience and self-reliance have also been referenced in commemorations and public initiatives beyond India.
The Canberra statue, located at the intersection of Akuna and Bunda Streets in Glebe Park, is one of the city’s public monuments commemorating Gandhi. The memorial records his role in India’s independence movement and his association with Satyagraha and non-violent resistance.
Gandhi Jayanti is also recognised through community, educational and civic activities that reflect different aspects of Gandhi’s legacy. In India, the 2026 observance includes youth-focused initiatives through Mera Yuva Bharat, with activities centred on community service, cleanliness, environmental work, digital literacy and other forms of civic participation.
The Canberra ceremony therefore formed part of a broader day of remembrance connecting the Indian diaspora with an important date in India’s national calendar. For many members of the community, such commemorations also provide an opportunity to maintain cultural connections while living in Australia.
Gandhi’s association with non-violence has remained central to how his birth anniversary is commemorated. Official Indian government material for Gandhi Jayanti 2026 describes the day as an occasion for reflecting on principles including Satyagraha, Swadeshi and Seva and their relevance to contemporary civic participation.
The floral tribute in Canberra added a local dimension to those nationwide and international commemorations, bringing members of the Indian community together around the Gandhi statue in the Australian capital.
With Gandhi Jayanti observed each year on 2 October, the Canberra gathering once again highlighted the continuing presence of Indian cultural and historical commemorations within Australia’s multicultural community landscape.
