Published On : Wed, Oct 17th, 2018

Deekshabhoomi dazzles as all is set for Dhammachakra Pravartan Din celebrations

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Nagpur: Slogans praising Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar reverberated in the air and the atmosphere seemed to be glorious at Deekshabhoomi with the devotion of the Ambedkarite followers, when large numbers of Buddhist community members, organizations and institutions paid rich tributes to the architect of the Indian Constitution Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and Gautam Buddha to commemorate Dammachakra Pravartan Din on Thursday.

62 years back, Dr Ambedkar embraced Buddhism with approximately 600,000 followers on the occasion of Ashok Vijayadashami on October 14, 1956.

Considering the huge crowd of people turning up for Dhammachakra Pravartan Din, preparations have started weeks before the event at Deekshabhoomi located at the centre of the city. Nagpur Municipal Corporation has placed all facilities in place for convenience of visitors.

While discussing the importance of this day in her life, Kinjal Bansod, an IT professional told Nagpur Today, that “Dr Amebdkar is like a father to us and I feel privileged to be part of this legacy. I participate in this celebration every year but every time it feels like an all new experience. Visiting this place brings us closer to our religion as it is like a pilgrimage for us.”

“By visiting Deekshabhoomi we remember the contributions of Dr Ambedkar for the backward classes in society. It is because of him that we are living with dignity today. The main purpose of our visit to this place is to remember and follow the path shown to us by Dr Ambedkar,” Shweta Rangari, medical researcher, Super Specialty Hospital, said.

Echoing the similar sentiments, Prithvi Chavhan, a student preparing for UPSC, said “For Dr Ambedkar, Buddhism was mainly a matter of principles only and never a matter of rules. The moment any religion degenerates into rule, it ceases to be a religion, as it kills responsibility which is an essence of the true religious act.”

Stage is all set for Dhammachakra Pravartan Din with fervour. A sea of followers of Bharat Ratna Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and Bhagwan Gautam Buddha have started to arrive in city as usual every year. These followers would visit Deekshabhoomi for celebration of the day. Many food and water stalls have been set up around the venue by several organizations to serve the visiting followers who come from far off places and visit the sacred land of Deekshabhoomi. With the aim of spreading awareness also to promote healthy lifestyles many social organizations and NGOs also use this platform to educate people.

– Shubham Nagdeve
– Pic By Amol Sirsat