Dikshabhumi
| Deekshabhoomi | |
|---|---|
| दीक्षाभूमी | |
Deekshabhoomi
|
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| General information | |
| Type | Religious and historical monument |
| Architectural style | Stupa |
| Location | Nagpur, Maharashtra, India |
| Address | Central Nagpur |
| Coordinates | 21°7′41″N 79°4′1″E / 21.12806°N 79.06694°E |
| Construction started | July 1978 |
| Inaugurated | 18 December 2001 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Sheo Dan Mal, Shashi Sharma |
| Website | |
| http://www.deekshabhoomi.org/ | |
Deekshabhoomi is a sacred monument of Buddhism at the place where the architect of the Indian Constitution, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, went back to Buddhism with his about 600,000 followers on Ashok Vijaya Dashami on 14 October 1956. Ambedkar's return to Buddhism is an important matter for many in India.
Deekshabhoomi is in Nagpur, Maharashtra, a location regarded as a pilgrimage center of Buddhism in India. Millions of pilgrims visit Deekshabhoomi every year, especially on 'Dhamma Chakra Pravartan Din' (Mass Conversion Ceremony Day) and 14 October, the memorial day when Dr. Ambedkar converted to Buddhism here. Ambedkar's final religious act was to embrace Buddhism. Now, the biggest stupa in Asia is erected in his memory at the place.
Deeksha literally means 'act of ordaining' and bhoomi means the 'ground'.Deekshabhoomi means the ground where people got ordained as Buddhist. This religious mass conversion at one place was the first ever of its kind in history. Deekshabhoomi is one of the two places of great importance in the life of Dr. Ambedkar, the other being Chaitya Bhoomi at Mumbai.
Ambedkar had declared in 1935 that although he was born as a Hindu he would not die as one, as conversion was the solution to abandon the caste system. After this declaration, he extensively studied the doctrines of all the major religions to choose Buddhism for himself and his followers.
Buddhism was 2,550 years old in 1956, so it was notable year for global celebration and 14 October was the traditional date of conversion of greatest Buddhist King, Ashoka Maurya, the celebration of Ashok Vijaya Dashmi. He selected Nagpur for his conversion ceremony, as he explained in his speech at that occasion, because Nagpur was the homeland of 'Nag' people who embraced Buddhism, supported it with great efforts in its early period, and propagated it throughout India. Ground near the Ramdaspeth area in Nagpur was selected for the ceremony.
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Wikipedia