Why did Gandhi change his name from Mohandas to Mahatma?

Answer 1

He did not change his name. He was called that by the people because Mahatma is sanskrit for Great Soul and Gandhi helped India struggle for independence from Britain which meant he had great soul.

Answer 2

He did not. His name was and remains Mohandas Gandhi. The word Mahatma is a title that the people bestowed on him, and from some reports it annoyed him at least at some periods in his life. I think he came to accept it in time because it became so popular. He just got tired of saying "Stop calling me that." The word means something like "Great Soul". A western equivalent would be something like calling a person "Holy One" or "Prophet". Some called him "bapu" instead, a word that is closer in meaning to 'father'. The word Mahatma has its origins in the Sanskrit words mahā and ātman meaning great spirit. Using the term was NOT a deification of Gandhi; it was a title of the deepest and profoundest respect, and an acknowledgement of his love for humanity and his spiritual maturity and depth.

Answer 3

he had 2 names because one meant 'great soul"in hindu.

Answer 4

Mahatma means 'Great Soul'. People really liked Gandhi.