Remembrance, food & joy: How Mumbaikars are celebrating Dr Ambedkar Jayanti 2022

The streets of Mumbai have brightened up with shades of blue and white and largerthanlife banners of Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar meet our eyes in every nook and corner The city is gearing up to celebrate April 14 the 131st birth anniversary of Dr Ambedkar also known as lsquoAmbedkar Jayantirsquo or lsquoBhim JayantirsquoWhile the Covid19 pandemic urged people to have homely celebrations devoid of any community gathering as restrictions are lifted this year families who follow Buddhism or all those who follow Dr Ambedkarrsquos teachings are awaiting joyous celebrationsldquoFor the past two years there were no largescale social celebrations of the Jayanti However this year there are plans to celebrate it in a more enthusiastic manner There will be prayer meets social gatherings discussing Dr Ambedkarrsquos contribution to various fieldsrdquo says Abhijit Bansode a PhD research scholar at TISS MumbaiRahul Bhise a resident of Kalyan who will be celebrating with his parents after two years says ldquoThe entire mood on April 14 is different and positive at home We feel inspired and are excited about celebrating and paying homage to the person who has done so much for us constitutionally because of whom we can live like humansrdquoRahul Bhise with his parents during April 14 celebrations Image courtesy Rahul BhiseDr Ambedkarrsquos act of rejecting Hinduism and embracing Buddhism in 1956 is considered to be one of the most revolutionary acts in Indiarsquos social and cultural history and holds special significance in the lives of around four lakh families who accepted Buddhism along with himThe humble celebrations at home begin in the morning by waking up earlier than usual dressing up in white clothes and preparing for oathtaking practices as per Buddhism This includes the act of offering flowers not compulsory and candles to the photo of Dr Ambedkar and the idol of the Buddha and reciting the TrisharanPanchsheel Trisharan is taking refuge in Buddha Dhamma and Sangha and Panchasheel refers to the five oaths undertaken in Buddhism and Buddha Vandana two of the significant recitals among others including Bhim Stuti poetry or a song sung in the remembrance of Dr AmbedkarAs Bhise and Bansode share a rare and unique factor about Ambedkar Jayanti celebrations is that families take time to sit together to think and engage in discussions about Dr Ambedkar the Constitution of India anticaste movement and literature and about the path ahead of themBhisersquos family who are not into symbolic celebrations have a longtime tradition of reading physical books and on April 14 they indulge in donating books including biographies and titles of social and political importance to public libraries and to people in need Meanwhile Shraddha Toraskar from Virar likes to donate food decorate the house and participate in social gatherings too later in the dayPreparations at Shraddha Toraskars home Image credit Shraddha ToraskarKheer and Puran PoliAfter the morning oath taking tradition family members eat together and some also engage in distributing sweets While people are free to prepare dishes of their choice based on their resources Bansode and Toraskar say rice kheer a sweet dish is an important part of the festivities The traditional Maharashtrian staple puran poli mainly prepared during celebratory events is another common dish enjoyed on the occasion Toraskar says ldquoWe share kheer with our neighbours on the day and also treat people who visit the house with whatever we have prepared at homerdquoThe importance of kheer is related to the time when Siddhartha Gautam or Buddha was undergoing the process of Asceticismmdasha lifestyle characterised by severe selfdiscipline and nonindulgence in worldly pleasuresmdashand consumed food in a rationed manner A process which lasted for over six years in pursuance of enlightenment ended with the consumption of kheer provided by Sujata a resident of Uruvela or Bodh Gaya in BiharKheer during lunch left and sweets prepared for April 14 Image credit Shraddha ToraskarBansode cites an extract from Dr BR Ambedkarrsquos lsquoThe Buddha And His Dhammarsquo 1957 where he explains ldquoNew light cannot be attained by him who has lost his strength and is wearied with hunger thirst and fatigue with his mind no longer selfpossessed through fatigue How could he who is not absolutely calm reach the end which is to be attained by his mind True calm and the selfpossession of the mind is properly obtained by the constant satisfaction of the bodys wantsrdquoThe time when Gautama was undergoing the severest form of Asceticism in Uruvela Sujata a local resident who had conceived a son and had promised yearly offering to the Banyan tree thought of Gautama as the God of the tree and offered kheer in a golden bowl Gautama then took the bowl to the river bank bathed at a place and had the food ldquoThis gave Siddhartha new vigour to attain enlightenment which he did eventually and gave us the Ashtanga Marg The Noble EightFold Path Therefore kheer is a pivotal part of the celebrations in Bauddh familiesrdquo says BansodeCommunity gettogetherWhile the day starts with celebrations with family evenings are meant for visiting local Buddha Viharas or Dadarrsquos Chaithyabhoomi Dr Ambedkarrsquos resting place and other spaces meant for community gatherings meetups and functions At some locations celebrations start from late evening of April 13 and continue for the next 34 daysCommunity celebrations at Bansodes locality in 2017 Image credit Abhijit BansodeFor Bansode accompanying his father to the local municipal ground in the evening of April 13 to watch a play based on sociopolitical and cultural issues relevant to the day was an annual affair The plays usually end just half an hour before midnight so that people including community leaders and local politicians can gather at the statue of Dr Ambedkar to pay their respects The play resumes after these activities and midnight rallies and processions from different parts of the town gather at the municipal area After a break of two years Bansode says the town is gearing up for similar celebrationsIn addition to processions Toraskar says people wear colourful clothes in the evening and attend gatherings for participating in Bhim Geet songs on Dr Ambedkar Buddha Geet songs on Buddha Shahiri Jalsa Ambedkarite poetry and anticaste performances dance and art competitions and speeches or lectures conducted by intellectuals These art events and lectures extensively discuss the contribution of Dr Ambedkar in the anticaste movement and his fight against untouchabilityldquoTopics such as his contribution to nationbuilding women empowerment reforms in different sectors of the economy and society in drafting the Constitution of the Republic of India are also discussed in these public meetingsrdquo says BansodeRaja Tayade coordinator Bahujan Vikas Sangh BVS in Mulundmdasha forum to come together and discuss ideas perspectives experiences and debate shares that for the organisation and for many families April 14 is about very intimate and disciplined celebrations who do not believe in processions and symbolic power display Bhise agrees adding that though community processions do have a social and political significance at an individual level it is a disciplined affairMembers of the Bahujan Vikas Sangh during the Jayanti celebrations in 2019 Image courtesy Raja TayadeThis year all members young and seniors of the BVS are engaged in planning and executing the festivities with equal opportunity While junior members will be performing skits and songs on the values of Dr Ambedkar senior members will prepare speeches on inculcating these values in daily valuesldquoComing out triumphed this years celebration is definitely going to be a special one to recognise the efforts put down by the brave community members healthcare pharma workers during Covid19 and remembering the members we lostrdquo says TayadeFollowing Dr Ambedkarrsquos message of lsquoEducate Agitate Organisersquo the organisation will also felicitate community members who have graduated post graduated PhD fellows young entrepreneurs with new achievements who have helped in the communityrsquos growthldquoOur aim is to build an ecosystem for all our members to meet connect discuss and follow teachings of Babasaheb and improve the quality of life for each one of usrdquo adds TayadelsquoWe are because he wasrsquoThe birth anniversary of Dr Ambedkar which falls in the month of lsquoDalit History Monthrsquo holds special significance in the lives of families who have embraced Buddhism and all those who follow his teachings and social and political path In conversation with families in Mumbai one realises that the knowledge of historical importance of the day is not lost upon the celebrators and that the connection with the leader is not merely political but a little personal like a family memberShraddha Toraskar with her family Image courtesy Shraddha ToraskarldquoWe are because he wasrdquo says Toraskar while Rahul says ldquoItrsquos like our fatherrsquos birthdayrdquo as they talk about the kind of intimacy they share with lsquoBabasahebrsquo and sum up the relevance of the day in the lives of the community At an individual and at a community level itrsquos more than just an annual celebration and is about an opportunity to remember and discuss history and the contributions of Dr Ambedkarrsquos struggles to establish a just and equal societyFrom access to food water in public spaces shelter to the opportunities of education employment and a dignified life for the marginalised communities in a casteridden society the community owes it all him Through community celebrations the teachings are passed on to the younger generation who can then take it forward As the sources explain his contributions to the society as a scholar parliamentarian social reformer and a journalist mdash the greatest being the drafting the Indian Constitution mdash have focused on social economic and political justice to the masses and not just one communityldquoIt is often discussed iterated and reiterated in the family discussions that the house we live in today the fan above our head the food we eat the clothes we wear ndash everything is possible because of the endless struggle Babasaheb didrdquo says BansodeldquoThis day is like a festival for us and it brings us immense joy satisfaction and peace It is with eagerness that we await the dawn of this day every year For us Babasaheb Ambedkar is the greatest human and we celebrate his Jayanti with much joy and eagernessrdquo he concludesAlso read Dr Ambedkar Book Centre Six years after demolition the legacy continues at a makeshift stall in Dadar