Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated by Nathuram Godse at Birla House, New Delhi, on:

Mahatma Gandhi was shot dead by Nathuram Godse at Birla House, New Delhi, on the evening of 30 January 1948, while he was walking to his evening prayer meeting; he was 78 years old.

The assassination:

• Godse fired three shots from a pistol at close range.
• Gandhi is said to have uttered "He Ram" as he fell.
• Birla House, where Gandhi was staying, is now a memorial called "Gandhi Smriti".

Background:

• Gandhi was working to restore peace between Hindus and Muslims after the partition riots.
• He had fasted in Delhi from 13 to 18 January 1948, for communal harmony and for the payment of the money due to Pakistan.
• Godse and his associates held Gandhi responsible for the partition and accused him of favouring Muslims.
• An earlier attempt was made on 20 January 1948, when a bomb was exploded at Birla House.

The trial:

• Nathuram Godse and his associate Narayan Apte were sentenced to death and hanged on 15 November 1949 at Ambala jail.
• Others were sentenced to life imprisonment.

Nehru's broadcast:

Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru announced the death on the radio, saying: "The light has gone out of our lives, and there is darkness everywhere."

Gandhi's funeral:

• His body was cremated at Raj Ghat, on the banks of the Yamuna in Delhi, on 31 January 1948.
• His ashes were immersed in many rivers of India.

Martyrs' Day:

• The day of his death is observed every year as "Shaheed Diwas" (Martyrs' Day) in India.
• Two minutes of silence are observed at 11 a.m. in his memory.

About Gandhi:

He was born on 2 October 1869 at Porbandar, in Gujarat; his birthday is celebrated as Gandhi Jayanti and the International Day of Non-Violence.

Why not the other options?

• ✗2 October is Gandhi's birthday; 15 August and 26 January are other national days.