A collection of Mahatma Gandhi’s daily reflections on truth, self-restraint and non-violence — written for close associate and disciple Anand T Hingorani fetched Rs 16.20 crore at a Saffronart auction on Wednesday, setting a world record for an Indian historical document sold at auction.

Comprising 688 dated reflections penned across 23 months and compiled as a book titled ‘A Thought for the Day’, the archive offers an almost uninterrupted record of Gandhi’s moral thought and personal guidance.

Hingorani had first met Gandhi in 1930 and went on to work closely with him at Sabarmati Ashram. He participated in the Dandi March, as well as the Civil Disobedience and Quit India movements. He later became an important publisher and custodian of Gandhi’s writings. His family preserved the archive across generations. Hingorani passed away in 1999.

“Gandhi responded by setting aside time each day to write a personal thought. What began as a personal exchange soon evolved into a collaborative project. While Gandhi authored each reflection, Hingorani became the recipient, organiser and transcriber, ultimately preparing the writings for publication,” Minal Vazirani, Co-founder and president, Saffronart, told . The correspondence between Gandhi and Hingorani began as “an act of compassion” after the former reached out following the death of Hingorani’s wife, Vidya. According to the Hingorani family, Hingorani was also undergoing nature-cure treatment for his deafness at the time and had “shared with Gandhi the depth of his loneliness and grief”.

“Gandhi is often remembered for his grand political movements but this document shines a light on the equal significance he placed on individual daily relationships,” Minal said. The book was part of an 86-lot sale — Gandhi: From the Collection of Anand T Hingorani — that featured objects documenting the defining moments in India’s freedom struggle as well as the friendship, mentorship and personal exchanges between Gandhi and Hingorani, ranging from letters and manuscripts to philatelic items and artefacts.

“The exceptional response to ‘A Thought for the Day’ reinforces its rarity and historical significance. Together, these reflections offer a rare insight into how Gandhi lived the principles he advocated publicly, making this an especially valuable record of his thought and practice,” said Dinesh Vazirani, Co-Founder of Saffronart.

Other highlights from the sale included Message on God — a set of three related manuscript and correspondence items offering Gandhi’s reflections on God and the Bhagavad Gita — which fetched Rs 1.68 crore; Gandhi’s Peti Charkha and Two Letters on the Spiritual Discipline of Spinning, which went for Rs 1.02 crore; and a signed presentation photograph of Gandhi Writing, which sold for Rs 78 lakh.