"I thank you for inviting me to this old place, full of memories. It is good that you have built here a museum- a beautiful museum. Beautiful not because somebody has put up a huge building using marble and such things- for that is not proper. In fact when I look at our temples I often wonder why marble, etc. has been put on them. I am upset when I see them. They must have been by rich people who are giving reverence to the marble. Really I absolutely dislike to see such material used on such occasions.

I have seen some other museums: once at Madurai (which I opened; and the Gandhi Museums at Delhi and elsewhere; but I very much like the way this one is built over here. Whatever little I have seen has been done with an understanding and of a sort which suits this holy place. There is nothing pretentious here, but in itself shows that is a very simple and lovely thing. And that is why I am pleased to see it.

I congratulate the people who built it".

-Pt. JawaharlalNehru
Extract form the inaugural address of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru: Prime Minister, India.Sabarmati Ashram, 10/05/1963
(At the eve of opening Gandhi Smarak Sangrahalaya, Sabarmati Ashram)