Gandhi himself lived in a simple room on the left of the verandah. His spinning wheel still stands in the room. It was from here in 1930 that Gandhi set off with 81 supporters for the 385km march to Dandi on the coast in opposition to the salt tax. Arguing that taxing salt was unacceptable because it hit the poorest members of the community just as much as the rich. Gandhi encouraged his followers to go to the coast to make their own salt, in violation of the government's monopoly. By the time the marchers reached the sea they were 90,000 strong - Gandhi-ji went on to the beach, made a tiny quantity of salt and was promptly arrested. Within months so many people had followed his example that the British were unable to cope with all the prisoners and had to back down - one of the first of many acts of satyagraha which eventually led to independence