New Delhi: Nathuram Vinayakrao Godse was born into a Maharashtrian Chitpavan Brahmin family. He was born on May 19th, 1910 in Pune, Maharashtra. Godse was the assassinator of Mahatma Gandhi, who was revered as the father of the nation because he believed that Gandhi was solely responsible for Partition.

Here are some facets of his life  highlighted in the book Nathuram Godse: The Hidden Untold Truth by Anup Sardesai

  • During his childhood, Nathuram Godse was teased by his classmates for dressing up like a girl which would upset him, and he sought comfort from his, mother.

  • He was also supposed to be a ‘simple’ man who never smoked or drank and he also committed to celibacy.

  • After dropping out of high school Nathuram Godse became a part of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (R.S.S), which is a Hindu nationalist, paramilitary organization, and the political party Hindu Mahasabha.

  • Godse became Vinayak Damodar Savarkar’s secretary, working under him Godse learned how to read and write in English, he also learned how to deliver speeches. Godse and M. S. Golwalkar who later became the RSS chief translated Babarao Savarkar's book "Rashtra Mimansa" into English.


Godse did not believe in one god which was primary to all of Gandhi’s teachings. On January 30, 1947, Mahatma Gandhi was walking into the lawn to meet a crowd that was awaiting him after one of his evening prayers. In the crowd Godse and Narayan Apte, his friend and co-conspirator waited to assassinate him. Godse appeared in front of Gandhi, bent to touch his feet after which he shot Gandhi point-blank.

They were arrested along with 6 other co-conspirators and the trial for the murder of Gandhi went on for a whole year. He was sentenced to death on November 8, 1949 and was hanged on November 15, 1949, along with Apte.