In London, a rare oil painting of Mahatma Gandhi sold for Rs 1.7 crore

At a London Bonhams auction, a rare oil painting of Mahatma Gandhi—thought to be the only one he personally sat for—sold for an incredible 152,800 pounds, or almost Rs 1.7 crore.

The "Portrait of Mahatma Gandhi" by British artist Clare Leighton sold for three times its estimated worth of 50,000–70,000 pounds, or roughly Rs 58 lakh to Rs 81 lakh. During the Travel and Exploration online sale, the portrait was the best-selling item.

The unique artwork has never before been put up for sale, according to Rhyanon Demery, Head of Sale at Bonhams. He said it was a monument to Gandhi's ability to reach people all across the world and provided a permanent record of a significant historical event.

"With the portrait having remained in the artist's collection until her death in 1989, after which it was passed down through her family, it is no wonder that this work sparked such interest across the globe," Ms Demery said in a statement.

The image was stabbed while it was on display in a public setting in 1974. The artist's family claims that a Hindu right-wing extremist damaged the piece with a knife. There are multiple indications of repair in the picture.

Gandhi was directly involved in only this particular oil painting, highlighting its exclusivity. It was made in 1931 by British-American artist Clare Leighton while Gandhi was in London for the Second Round Table Conference.