Gandhi went to England and joined the University College, London, to study law.
Before leaving India he made a vow in front of his mother and wife that he would abstain from meat, alcohol and women.
He remained true to his vows, but decided to cultivate other accomplishments which could help him fit in the English society.
To overcome his shyness, he joined a public speaking practice group.
He changed his old clothes of the Bombay cut for new ones at the Army and Navy stores in London and bought a chimney-pot hat, an evening suit made in Bond Street, and got a double watch-chain of gold from his brother.
He learnt the art of wearing a tie and stood every day for ten minutes before a huge mirror to arrange his tie, part and comb his hair in the correct fashion.
He learnt to put his hat on and off in polished society, when his hand would automatically move towards the head to adjust the hair.
He decided to take dancing lessons at a class and paid £ 3 as fees for a term.
To get the correct rhythmic motions in dance he bought a violin and hired a teacher to learn to play it in order to cultivate an ear for Western music.
He hired a third teacher to give him lessons in elocution, bought Bell's Standard Elocutionist as a text-book, and started out by practicing a speech of Pitt's.
However, he soon realised that he was only a student and studies were his main concern, and so he gave up his dancing, violin and elocution classes.
However, his meticulous concern for dress persisted and he continued wearing western attire for many more years.
