Ask the Mahatma about partition and he will tell you that he was completely against it. Ask him who killed him and he will say he does not wish to comment. A life-size, AI-powered 3D avatar of Mahatma Gandhi – which now lives in the capital’s Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya – answers visitors’ questions and responds in Gandhi’s voice, based on his documented speeches, writings and recorded opinions.
The museum launched its interactive, artificial intelligence-powered HoloBox installation on May 21, enabling visitors to engage in realistic, interactive conversations with what officials described as a “hyper-realistic” 3D avatar of the Father of the Nation. The life-sized digital avatar, installed in the museum’s Anuboti section, allows visitors to engage in real-time audio conversations using generative artificial intelligence and motion-tracking technology. When a visitor asks a question, the system scans a wide range of websites, archives and digital materials to generate an answer, which is then delivered in Gandhi’s voice. The AI model currently supports interaction in two languages, English and Hindi.
Avatar responses on two topics attract particular attention. Regarding partition, Gandhi said: “I was completely opposed to the partition of India and Pakistan. But the decision was taken despite my disagreement with it.”
Regarding the issue of his assassination on January 30, 1948 – at the hands of the Hindu nationalist Nathuram Godse – Gandhi says: “My death occurred on January 30. But as for who is responsible, I do not wish to comment on that.” It is certain that Gandhi died 15 minutes after being shot, and it can be said that he could not have known who assassinated him.
“The aim of this initiative is to preserve the Gandhian spirit of research while making history more attractive to visitors,” said Prime Minister Museum and Libraries Society (PMLS) president Nripendra Misra. He refused to comment on Amnesty International Gandhi’s response to the assassination question.
Culture Ministry officials, who oversee the museum, confirmed that this is the first artificial intelligence-based interactive avatar of Gandhi of its kind in the country. The HoloBox is the third such exhibition at the museum, after similar installations by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and former President APJ Abdul Kalam. The Patel HoloBox was unveiled on September 17, 2025, allowing visitors to ask questions and get answers about the leader’s life, philosophies and pivotal moments in Indian history.
The museum recorded a total of more than 640,000 visitors in 2025-26, with an average daily admission of 1,400 to 1,500. Exact numbers for Patel HoloBox visitors were not available.
“We are working on using AI extensively in the museum to enhance visitor experience. So we started with a life-sized AI-powered holobox of Sardar Patel, then of former President APG Abdul Kalam, and now Gandhiji. Soon, we will bring a similar avatar of Atal Ji,” said Ashwani Lohani, Director, PMLS. An exhibition dedicated to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee with a similar AI avatar is expected to be ready by June 30, and visitors will be able to ask questions about his life, tenure and poetry.
Lohani said the museum is collaborating with a startup that participated in the recent Artificial Intelligence Summit in Delhi on a new initiative that will make the exhibits accessible to individuals with visual challenges.
The Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya, which opened in April 2022 and spread across the historic Teen Murti complex, welcomed over 6.4 lakh visitors in the financial year 2025-26. The museum receives between 1,400 and 1,500 visitors per day on average.
As of June 1, the museum has also reduced ticket prices for some additional services by up to 30%. The basic entry ticket remains unchanged – $40 for Indian children aged 5-11 years on weekdays and $50 on weekends and $50 for those over 12 on weekdays $100 on the weekend.
