Abha Gandhi (1927-1995, nee Chatterjee) came to live at Sevagram Ashram in 1939 or 1940, at the age of 12 or 13. She and several of her siblings were brought there by her father, Amrita Lal Chatterjee, who read about Gandhi in the news and came from Bengal to join Sevagram Ashram and engage in the constructive work program there. Although Amrita Lal eventually returned to Bengal, Abha remained and received her education in the alternative school that had been set up in the community. There she was trained in the ideals of universal wellbeing (sarvodaya) and selfless service (seva). As a young woman Abha became a close aide to Gandhi, and she was also one of Gandhi’s partners in his controversial experiments in celibate sexuality.

Abha married Kanu Gandhi, Gandhi’s grandnephew and a fellow resident of Sevagram Ashram, in 1944. The marriage took place after a prolonged engagement due both to Abha’s status as a minor, and also to some resistance from Abha’s family over the idea of her marrying someone from outside her caste and region. When the wedding eventually took place it was with the consent of Abha and Kanu, their parents, and Gandhi and Kasturba – although Gandhi insisted that they must continue to observe celibacy while they lived at Sevagram Ashram.

Abha was at Gandhi’s side when he was assassinated in New Delhi on January 30, 1948. After Gandhi’s assassination in 1948, Abha and Kanu continued to promote the way of life they had learned at Sevagram Ashram in Rajkot, Gujarat, teaching spinning and promoting cottage industries there at Rashtriya Shala.