Who called Gandhiji "Mahatma" for the first time?
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Jawaharlal Nehru
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Subhas Chandra Bose
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Rabindranath Tagore
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Sharmila Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore first called Mohandas Gandhi 'Mahatma' in 1915. The term means 'great soul' in Sanskrit. Tagore, the Nobel Prize-winning poet, bestowed this title recognizing Gandhi's spiritual and moral leadership. The name became permanently associated with Gandhi thereafter.
Rabindranath Tagore, India's Nobel laureate poet, is widely credited with first addressing Mohandas Gandhi as "Mahatma" (great soul), recognizing his moral leadership during the independence struggle. Gandhi in turn is said to have given Tagore the title "Gurudev." The other names listed were contemporaries or freedom fighters but are not linked to coining this honorific.