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ambedkar month ~ october 2009

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On October 14, 1956 Dr. Ambedkar converted to Buddhism, starting a Buddhist revival across India. We celebrated this "diksha", or Buddhist conversion, with a month of festivities. We invite our Jai Bhim friends around the world to send us descriptions and pictures of your own celebrations. Jai Bhim! 

 October Ambedkar Month Events in San Francisco: 

On Friday October 2nd we celebrated the launch of Ambedkar Month and the revival of Buddhism in India, at the sfbc, with Indian film night. We watched "pather panchali", the classic Indian film by Satyajit Ray, the first of 
The Apu Trilogy.  Delicious indian pizza was provided by Jai Bhim International and Zante's Pizza.


Thanks to everyone who came and made the evening such fun.


The Great Mass Conversion: Spark for a Buddhist Revival in India:

On Wednesday October 14th we held our sangha night celebration of Dr. Ambedkar at the sfbc. We were celebrating with our Buddhist friends around the world The Great Mass Conversion of 1956, when Dr. Ambedkar and more than 400,000 of his followers converted to Buddhism, in Nagpur, India.

Ann Dennehy, of Jai Bhim International, introduced some background on Dr. Ambedkar. After questions and reflection we listened to an audio recording by Dh. Maitriveer Nagarjuna, an Order Member, scholar, and Director of Jai Bhim International, explaining the history and significance of October 14th in the global Buddhist movement. Maitriveer recorded his talk at the site of the Great Mass Conversion in Nagpur, and spent October 14th on retreat in Bodh Gaya, the place of the Buddha's Enlightenment.

Our barefoot bhangra party was held on Saturday October 24th at the sfbc and it was a wonderful evening! 

 

Baindu Coomber, of San Francscio-based Duniya Dance and Drum Company led a beginning bhangra dance lesson, and Tipu's Tiger Chai sold their delicious chai by-the-mug, with all chai sales generously donated to Jai Bhim International.  

More shots of the night on our barefoot bhangra 2009 page.

A big thank-you to the following businesses for their contributions to these events: zante's pizza,  cafe gratitude, samovar tea lounge, colorbox salon, speesees, udupi palace, rhythm and motion at odc dance commons, elaayurveda, and tipu's tiger chai . Special thanks to the sangha of the San Francisco Buddhist Center for encouragement and for the generous donation of space.

All events benefited jai bhim international.