Ambedkar Jayanti also called Bhim Jayanti is a yearly celebration commemorating the legacy of B. R. Ambedkar, an Indian polymath, and civil rights campaigner. It is held on April 14. It is the birthday of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, who was born on April 14, 1891. It has been commemorated as an official public holiday in India since 2015. Ambedkar Jayanti is observed worldwide, not only in India. Ambedkar fought for equality throughout his life; hence, his birthday is celebrated throughout India as ‘Equality Day,’ and a petition to name this day “International Equality Day” has been submitted to the United Nations.
Every year on April 14, citizens pay respect to Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar at Parliament House in New Delhi on his birth anniversary.
His devotees hold Ambedkar Jayanti processions at Chaitya Bhoomi in Mumbai and Deeksha Bhoomi in Nagpur. Senior national personalities such as the President, Prime Minister, and leaders of major political parties respect Ambedkar’s monument in the Indian Parliament in New Delhi. It is observed worldwide, particularly by Dalits, Adivasis, laborers, women, and those who converted to Buddhism due to his example. In India, massive crowds gather in procession to pay tribute to Ambedkar’s local monuments. In 2020, the world’s first online Ambedkar Jayanti will be celebrated.
Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Jayanti is observed as a public holiday in over 25 Indian states and union territories, including Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Ladakh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Pondicherry, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim,
Ambedkar Jayanti’s History and Significance
Dr BR Ambedkar’s birthday is commemorated as Ambedkar Jayanti. On April 14, 1891, he was born in Mhow, near Indore, in Madhya Pradesh. On April 14, 1928, in Pune, activist Janardan Sadashiv Ranapisay publicly celebrated Ambedkar’s birthday for the first time. This day has been observed as Ambedkar Jayanti or Bhim Jayanti ever since. Dr Ambedkar rose from modest beginnings to become one of the country’s top legal minds. He was also the country’s first law minister.
Dr Ambedkar chaired the Indian Constitution’s drafting committee. He established himself as an internationally renowned social reformer, educator, jurist, economist, politician, and legal expert. His views on society, classes, and groups cut beyond political lines.
On March 31, 2021, the Indian Government declared April 14 as a public holiday in honor of Dr Ambedkar’s birthday.
Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu said in July 2020 that Ambedkar was the architect of the Indian Constitution and one of contemporary India’s founders. He was a multifaceted genius – a visionary leader, a towering intellect, an exceptional jurist, an economist, a writer, a philosopher, a social reformer, and the quintessential humanist.
Ambedkar worked for the oppressed throughout his life and was a firm believer in gender equality. He fought for women’s liberation via education and worked to eliminate caste boundaries to promote equality for all members of society. Ambedkar founded the BahishkritHitkarni Sabha (Outcastes Welfare Association) in 1923, intending to educate the poor and improve their economic situation. His many endeavors to liberate the lowest strata of society elevated him to the status of messiah for a sizable segment of the population in the nation.
Celebrations During B. R. Ambedkar
Babasaheb Ambedkar’s birth anniversary was commemorated publicly in 1928 at Pune by one Janardan Sadashiv Ranapisay, an ‘Ambedkarite’ and social crusader.
In 1956, Dr Ambedkar headed a sociopolitical organization nearly India known as the Dalit Buddhist Movement, which drew in half a million community members. Later on, the movement became known as ‘Navayana Buddhism’ or ‘Neo-Buddhism, which reinterpreted Buddhism.
In 2022, he will celebrate his 131st birthday. As was the case last year, individuals would be expected to join in the Bhim Jayanti activities from their homes this year as well.
FAQs About Ambedkar Jayanti
As the name implies, Ambedkar Jayanti is a day devoted to Dr B R Ambedkar, a polymath and civil rights champion. The day is sometimes called ‘Bhim Jayanti’ and is held yearly on April 14.
Ambedkar Jayanti or Bhim Jayanti is an annual celebration commemorating the legacy of B. R. Ambedkar, an Indian polymath, and civil rights campaigner. It is held on April 14. It is the birthday of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, who was born on April 14, 1891.
Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, the Indian Constitution’s father, was an ambitious leader, writer, economist, and social reformer who battled against untouchability discrimination. On August 29, 1947, he organized a seven-member body dubbed the ‘Drafting Committee.’
Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar was India’s first doctorate recipient (Ph. D.)
Conclusion
Now that you know everything about the Ambedkar Jayanti, it’s time to get ready to celebrate this festival with a lot of pomp and love! For more blogs about popular Indian festivals, keep reading Seema!
