Mahatma Gandhi's blood-stained soil, collected from the site of his assassination, is to be auctioned in the UK, in a sale of Gandhi memorabilia that has been condemned by his relatives.
Grass and dirt stained with his blood and displayed in a small wooden box is up for sale by auction house Mullocks along with his signature round glasses and a wooden "charka" or spinning wheel.
The sale of the collection, which also includes signed letters and a personal prayer book, is expected to fetch around £80,000 when it goes under the hammer later this month.
Gandhi's grandson, Tushar Gandhi, who runs the Mahatma Gandhi Foundation, told the Indo-Asian News Service that India's government should take action when such items go up for sale, saying that "many common Indians look upon it as a matter of pride".
Gandhi is revered in India for his leadership of the country against British rule and is often referred to as the "Father of India".
Gandhi's granddaughter, Tara Gandhi-Battacharjee, said that the items should not be auctioned as "Gandhi was a classical and original minimalist." She suggested that people should donate to charity instead, if they wanted to commemorate Gandhi's legacy.
She told the news service that "we must look within us to see who Gandhi was".