Fresno State will honor Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birthday with an exhibition and candlelight vigil for world peace next month.  

The celebration begins at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 2, at the Henry Madden Library Ellipse Gallery, where Fresno State President Dr. Joseph I. Castro will speak at the ribbon-cutting event opening the exhibition. It will focus on the lives of Mahatma Karamchand Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., Daisaku Ikeda and Cesar Chavez. It will remain open during library hours until Oct. 12. 

The candlelight vigil will run from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., which includes a garlanding and flowering ceremony, guest speakers, classical dances and meditation.

But the commemoration for Gandhi doesn’t stop there. 

The university will host various keynote speakers at Gandhi’s Global Legacy International Conference from October 10 to 11 in the Alice Peters Auditorium (PB 191), the Peace Garden, Satellite Student Union and Wahlberg Recital Hall.

The conference schedule and registration can be found on Fresno State’s department of philosophy’s website.

A few days later, a Human Rights Coalition of the Central Valley event will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on October 14 in the North Gym. Guest speakers will be featured in celebration of the United Nations annual Human Rights Day commemoration.

Peace activist, former member of parliament in South Africa and Gandhi’s granddaughter, Ela Gandhi, will speak at Fresno State at 7 p.m. on October 14 in the North Gym. The event will be  called, Ela Gandhi — “Gandhian Legacy and Challenges Ahead in the 21st Century: Personal Perspectives.”

All events are free and open to the public. Parking is $5 from the daily parking permit dispensers. For additional information or if you require special accommodations, you may contact the Fresno State department of philosophy at 559-278-2621.