Why was the man who assassinated Mahatma Gandhi raised as a girl?

History · Published 3 October 2026 · Updated 25 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Born into a Brahmin family, Nathuram Godse was named after a nose-ring to ward off a family curse. This early identity crisis preceded a life of radicalization within Hindu nationalist groups. His path eventually led to the 1948 assassination of Gandhi, an act that remains a deeply contested political symbol.

Nathuram Godse was born in 1910 as Ramachandra. Because his parents had lost three previous sons, they feared a curse and raised him as a girl for his early years, piercing his nose and dressing him in jewelry. He earned the nickname 'Nathuram'—meaning 'Ram with a nose-ring'—before his parents eventually transitioned him to a male identity. This unconventional upbringing occurred against the backdrop of his father's work as a postal employee in a Maharashtrian family.

As an adult, Godse became a prominent figure in the Hindu Mahasabha and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). While the RSS has historically denied his membership at the time of the assassination, records and family accounts suggest he remained an active participant until his death. Godse viewed Gandhi's policies during the 1947 partition as a betrayal of Hindu interests. After two failed attempts in 1944, he successfully shot Gandhi three times at a New Delhi prayer meeting on 30 January 1948.

The aftermath of the assassination saw Godse captured by Herbert Reiner Jr., an American diplomat. Following a year-long trial at the Punjab High Court, Godse was sentenced to death. Despite clemency pleas from Gandhi's sons, Manilal and Ramdas, the sentence was carried out on 15 November 1949 at Ambala Central Jail. Today, the legacy of the act remains polarized; while some scholars categorize it as the first act of 'Hindutva terrorism' in independent India, various political groups have attempted to rehabilitate his image, framing him as a patriot.

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