Amid tunes of “Buddham Saranam Gacchami” reverberating in the air, a sea of blue and white awash Dadar on Tuesday, where all roads seem to lead to Chaitya Bhoomi, Babasaheb Ambedkar’s memorial at Shivaji Park. Even as the swathes outside Dadar station wore a busier look hours ahead of Mahaparinirvan Din on December 6, marking the death anniversary of social reformer and chief architect of India’s Constitution Dr BR Ambedkar, the mood was almost meditative.
“I am here to pay my respects to Babasaheb. He is like a messiah to us. We are here only because of Ambedkar. Even after my death, I am going to be indebted to him for all that he has done for me, my community and the entire country,” Jagannath Waghmare, a Satara resident who arrived in Dadar Tuesday afternoon.
Like Waghmare, thousands of Dalits and followers of Ambedkar flocked to Chowpatty’s Chaitya Bhoomi to commemorate his 67th death anniversary. As per civic estimates, over six lakh followers are slated to arrive in the city on Wednesday. According to scholars, this tradition dates back to 1956, the year of Ambedkar’s demise.
“Not only has Babasaheb paved the way for Dalits but all Indians, especially women,” said Waghmare. A sugarcane farmer by profession, Waghmare claims that he has a collection of over 3,000 books, many of which include those authored by Ambedkar. Even though children couldn’t join him for the event, he told The Indian Express that they travel to Chaitya Bhoomi each year, on other days.
While Waghmare is planning to leave the town soon after his prayers at Chaitya Bhoomi, thousands of followers who travel from across interiors of Maharashtra as well as other states, arrive a few days prior to the actual event and choose to stay thereafter.
To accommodate them, the BMC has erected two waterproof canopies, sprawling on an area of over one lakh square feet at Shivaji Park, situated across the Chaitya Bhoomi.
Among those who have sought accommodation in these tents is Deep Singh Sandhu (24), who travelled from Chattisgarh’s Raipur along with his wife and child. His wife, Sheetal said, “This is my third visit to Chaitya Bhoomi. Ambedkar has done so much for our community that I look forward to coming here, whenever possible. The arrangements are decent.”
A group of 11 boys aged between 18 – 20 who have travelled from Akola district said, “After offering our prayers, we plan to do some sightseeing in Mumbai as we don’t get a chance to come here often.”
Carrying forward Ambedkar’s legacy, countless stalls selling Ambedkar’s books, statues, shirts, calendars as well as relics of Buddhist faith have propped up at Shivaji Park, alongside education, career counselling and medical camps.
Speaking to The Indian Express, volunteers from JJ Hospital who are working at the medical camp said, “Since most people here have travelled from far off places in the heat, most of them are suffering from weakness, besides cough and cold.” However, with each passing hour, a fresh flock of visitors arrive at Chaitya bhoomi’s gates, each more enthused than the last. A 25-year-old resident of Bhandup, Asmita Wankhade, said, “My family and I visit Chaitya Bhoomi each year on December 6 to pay our respects to Babasaheb. His existence and work changed the lives of Dalits. Today our people are going places and accomplishing so much around the world, we must never forget that.”
