Background, Philosophies and purpose of Various fasts

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi or simply known as Gandhi was born on October 2. 1869 to his parents,Karamchand( father) and Putilbai(mother). He was raised in a coastal town called Porbandar,which atthe time was part of the Bombay Presidency In British India; where his father was a man of political power.To be exact, he was a diwan or prime minister of the Probandar state; along with his devout mother who raised Gandhi with the Jain traditions of the reigion. Gandhi's mother Putilbai had a strong spiritual influence on him, as Jain is an Indian religion recommending a path of non-violence towards all living beings and was surrounded by various  philospohical perspectives as his father's friends who were a mixed group that included Musclims,Parsis and Jain's. Gandhi would listen to them as they often debated religious and philosophical matters in the house. At age 13, Gandhi was married to a girl of his age named, Kasturbai or "Ba" shortened used affectionately. Some time in upcoming years, with average grades, he went to pursue law and went to London, England to study at the University College London and train to be a barrister. While in England, Gandhi made a conscious attempt to westernize himself by taking lessons in French, dancing,elocution and the violin, but soon to abandon them. He eventually returned to India , getting news that his mother died; he was devasted like the rest of his family,but would always carry the lessons she placed on him

                                    

"A nation's culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people."

                         -Gandhi