The correct answer is Rabindra Nath Tagore .

The person who is believed to have called Gandhi ‘Mahatma’ for the first time was actually Rabindranath Tagore, a renowned Indian poet and writer, who is also the answer to option 3.

Gandhi’s journey towards becoming a national leader and a symbol of India’s struggle for independence began in the early 1900s, when he first became involved in political activism in South Africa. However, it was only after he returned to India in 1915 that he began to gain widespread recognition for his work.

During this period, Gandhi began to develop his philosophy of nonviolent resistance, which would become the cornerstone of the Indian independence movement. He also began to be known as a spiritual leader, due to his ascetic lifestyle and his emphasis on living a simple and honest life.

It was during this time that Tagore first met Gandhi, and the two quickly became friends and collaborators. According to some accounts, Tagore was so impressed by Gandhi’s commitment to nonviolence and his dedication to improving the lives of ordinary Indians that he began to refer to him as ‘Mahatma’, which means ‘Great Soul’ in Hindi.

The term ‘Mahatma’ soon became widely associated with Gandhi, and is now used as a title of respect for him by people around the world. Gandhi himself was reportedly uncomfortable with the term, and preferred to be called simply ‘Gandhiji’ or ‘Bapu’, which means ‘Father’. However, the term ‘Mahatma’ has become synonymous with Gandhi’s legacy, and is now recognized as a fitting tribute to one of India’s greatest leaders.