The first amongst the five holy sites, or Panchteerth, dedicated to the life of Dr Ambedkar, is Bhim Janamabhoomi, in Mhow near Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh. Millions of followers visit the memorial every year on his birth anniversary. The Madhya Pradesh government organizes ‘Samajik Samrasta Sammelan’ every year on Ambedkar Jayanti. Apart from this, various other cultural programs are also organised here. The other four pilgrimages related to his life are Shiksha-Bhoomi London, Deeksha-Bhoomi Nagpur, Mahaparinirvan-Bhoomi Delhi And Chaitya Bhoomi, Mumbai.
Shiksha Bhoomi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Ambedkar Memorial in London on November 14, 2015, honouring the “Shiksha Bhoomi”, where Dr Ambedkar spent years pursuing higher studies at the London School of Economics.
Deekshabhoomi: Maharashtra Government led by Devendra Fadnavis bought the three-storey house, where Dr Ambedkar used to stay. Rs 800 crore rupees have been spent to convert it into a museum. PM Modi stated how people would be drawn to this place to understand India’s economic thinking. On 14th October 1956, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and his wife took the oath of Three Jewels and Five Precepts from the Burmese monk, Mahasthavir Chandramani. A prime attraction in the city of Nagpur, Deekshabhoomi is located at the spot where Babasaheb adopted Buddhism. It was a historic and auspicious day as 600,000 people followed him in this conversion. The literal meaning of ‘Deekshabhoomi’ is the place where people get ordained as Buddhists. Today, Deekshabhoomi is one of the major Buddhist pilgrim centres in India. Its construction started in 1968 over four acres with quarters for monks.
Mahaparnirvana Bhoomi: Ambedkar’s Mahaparinirvana took place in a Bungalow at 26, Alipur Road, Delhi. On April 14th, 2016 on eve of the of his anniversary PM Modi inaugurated the Dr Ambedkar National Memorial at this address. It is described as an architectural marvel that is in the shape of an open book (the Constitution) with vast landscaped gardens. It showcases the life journey of Bharat Ratan Dr Ambedkar. The design depicts a glimpse of his life, vision and ideology. Ancient Buddhist architecture in the form of Stupas, Toran Dwars, and Bodhi Tree adorn the place.
Chaitya Bhoomi: Earlier known as Dadar Chowpatty, the Chaitya Bhoomi is one of the most revered places for Ambedkar’s followers –the place he was cremated. The two-storey construction looks like a stupa. Its architecture is inspired by Babasaheb’s religious and philosophical quest. The memorial was inaugurated by Meerabai Yashwantrao Ambedkar, the daughter-in-law of Dr Ambedkar on December 5, 1971. Dr Ambedkar’s ashes rest here. On December 6 every year, lakhs of followers visit Chaitya Bhoomi to pay homage to Dr Ambedkar.
In 2015, PM Modi performed Bhoomi Pujan for the site.
Dr Ambedkar International Centre at 15 Janpath, New Delhi was inaugurated by PM Modi on December 7, 2017. It’s a ‘Centre of Excellence’ for study, research and policy-making in the field of Socio-Economic Transformation. The state-of-the-art centre is approximately 3.25 acres in the heart of Delhi and has an 18-foot bronze statue of Dr Ambedkar, a Buddha Statue and the Ashoka Stambh. n
