Gandhi notes sell for record $1.7m, auction house says

A collection of notes attributed to Mahatma Gandhi has sold for $1.7 million in Mumbai, setting what auction house Saffronart called a world record for an Indian historical document sold at auction.

Saffronart said the 688 notes were preserved by the family of Gandhi's close associate and freedom fighter Anand T Hingorani. The notes were written to Hingorani after the death of his wife Vidya and were compiled into a book titled "A Thought for the Day".

The messages, dated between 1944 and 1946, cover subjects including truth, God and non-violence. Other items in the collection included Gandhi's portable spinning wheel and notes on the discipline of spinning.

Gandhi led a non-violent movement against British rule in India and was assassinated in January 1948.