Buddhist Centre Features
Triratna India

Dr Ambedkar's Mass Conversion to Buddhism, 1956: Jnanasuri's Story

By Sadayasihi on Wed, 14 Oct, 2020 - 12:48

Dr Ambedkar's Mass Conversion to Buddhism, 1956: Jnanasuri's Story

By Sadayasihi on Wed, 14 Oct, 2020 - 12:48

14th October marks the anniversary of the mass conversions into Buddhism led by Dr Ambedkar - a day when hundreds of thousands of ‘untouchable’ people were liberated from the oppression of the Hindu caste system as well as being a significant moment in the revival of Buddhism in India.

In this video Dhammacharini Jnanasuri shares her moving story about being at Dr Ambedkar’s mass conversion to Buddhism in 1956 and how she found her way to the Triratna Buddhist community.

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Triratna News
Triratna News

Jnanasuri's eye-witness account of Dr Ambedkar's conversion

By Munisha on Wed, 14 Oct, 2015 - 11:21

Jnanasuri's eye-witness account of Dr Ambedkar's conversion

By Munisha on Wed, 14 Oct, 2015 - 11:21

On this day, 14th October 1956, Dr BR Ambedkar publicly converted to Buddhism, followed by hundreds of thousands of his followers, fellow members of India’s Scheduled Castes, escaping their oppression as what were formerly termed “Untouchable” people. Such mass conversions continue to this day.

As a little girl, Jnanasuri was there at the ceremony in Nagpur. Today she is the most senior Dhammacharini in India; one of Triratna’s two Indian female public preceptors, responsible for the training of the 850 Indian women currently...