The Final Days

After the conversion at Nagpur, Dr. Ambedkar had only seven weeks left. He was very ill, but he kept travelling, speaking and writing. He wanted to finish his books and to spread the Buddhist movement he had just started Keer, Dr. Ambedkar: Life and Mission, 3rd ed., pp. 506–511.

A body worn out by illness

For several years his health had been failing. In 1954 he was confined to bed for two months. From June to October 1956 he was mostly bedridden in Delhi. His eyesight was weak, he suffered side effects from the medicines for his diabetes, and he felt deeply low Columbia University – Pritchett timeline, 1950s.

In the preface he wrote for The Buddha and His Dhamma in April 1956, he admitted that at times “doctors talked of me as a dying flame”. He thanked his wife, Dr. Savita Ambedkar, and his physician, Dr. Malvankar, for keeping him alive long enough to finish the book Columbia University – unpublished preface.

Kathmandu, November 1956

Even so, he went to Nepal for the Fourth Conference of the World Fellowship of Buddhists (WFB) Columbia University – Pritchett timeline, 1950s. His doctor came with him. According to Keer, he flew from Patna to Kathmandu on 14 November 1956, carrying the manuscripts of his unfinished books so he could work on the way. King Mahendra of Nepal opened the conference on 15 November Keer, Life and Mission, pp. 506–507.

At the opening session the delegates gave him a great ovation. Keer reports that the WFB president, G. P. Malalasekera of Ceylon, called his conversion with half a million followers the greatest religious conversion ever Keer, Life and Mission, p. 507.

On 20 November he was asked to speak. He had planned to talk about non-violence (ahimsa) in Buddhism, but most delegates asked for “Buddha or Karl Marx” instead. The talk was held in the King of Nepal’s palace, with the King present BAWS Vol. 17 Part 3, p. 549. He began with an apology:

“I am sure, most of the delegates are aware that although I am here, I am physically a very ill man, and I am quite unable to bear the stress and strain of the Conference proceedings.”

— Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, Kathmandu, 20 November 1956 BAWS Vol. 17 Part 3, p. 549

He warned that many young people in Buddhist countries saw Karl Marx as their prophet. Communism and Buddhism, he said, shared a goal: ending suffering and exploitation. But communism relied on force and dictatorship, while the Buddha changed people’s minds, which made the change last BAWS Vol. 17 Part 3, pp. 550–556. He also urged monks to preach and serve people actively. He ended:

“I am quite confident that if we all become one tenth as enlightened as the Buddha was, we can bring about the same result by the methods of love, of justice, and good will.”

— Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, Kathmandu, 20 November 1956 BAWS Vol. 17 Part 3, p. 558

On the way back he spoke at Banaras Hindu University and visited Buddhist holy places. He reached Delhi by air on 30 November 1956 Keer, Life and Mission, p. 509.

The last days at 26 Alipur Road

Home in Delhi was 26 Alipur Road. It belonged to the Maharaja of Sirohi, who had invited him to stay there. He lived there from 1 November 1951, after resigning from the Union Cabinet, until his death PIB, 2 December 2003 PIB, 13 April 2018.

Keer’s biography, based partly on the account of his secretary Nanak Chand Rattu, describes these days in detail Keer, Life and Mission, preface and pp. 509–513:

• On 1 December he visited an exhibition of Buddhist art and a bookshop, where he ordered new books.
• On 2 December he attended a function in honour of the Dalai Lama in Delhi.
• Around this time he finished the last chapter of Buddha or Karl Marx and gave it for typing. Columbia’s timeline dates this to 2 December Columbia University – Pritchett timeline, 1950s.
• On 4 December he went to the Rajya Sabha (then called the Council of States) for the last time. That evening he dictated letters inviting two Maharashtra leaders, Acharya P. K. Atre and S. M. Joshi, to join the new Republican Party he was planning.
• He was also planning another conversion programme in Bombay on 16 December.

On the evening of 5 December a group of Jain leaders visited him to talk about Buddhism and Jainism. Later, sitting with his eyes closed, he began to sing Buddham Saranam Gacchami (“I go to the Buddha for refuge”) and asked Rattu to play a recording of it. Before going to bed, he asked for the typed preface and introduction of The Buddha and His Dhamma to be placed beside him, so he could read them that night Keer, Life and Mission, pp. 512–513.

6 December 1956

On the morning of 6 December 1956, his wife went to wake him and found that he had died in his sleep Keer, Life and Mission, pp. 513–514. He was 65 years old PIB, 13 April 2018. He had died on the night of 5 December or early on 6 December Columbia University – Pritchett timeline, 1950s. Keer says long illness from diabetes had weakened his heart Keer, Life and Mission, p. 514.

The news spread quickly. Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and other ministers came to the house. Keer reports that Nehru told the Lok Sabha that Dr. Ambedkar would be remembered as a symbol of revolt against the oppressive features of Hindu society, and asked the House to adjourn for the day Keer, Life and Mission, pp. 515 and 517.

Some of his followers asked the government to investigate his death. On 26 November 1957 the Home Minister, Govind Ballabh Pant, told the Lok Sabha that a police inquiry had found he died a natural death Keer, Life and Mission, p. 519.

The last journey to Bombay

His associates in Bombay (now Mumbai) were told that the body would be flown there that night Keer, Life and Mission, p. 514. Jagjivan Ram, a Cabinet minister, arranged an aircraft. In Delhi, thousands lined the streets as his body was carried on a truck to the airport; the procession took five hours. The plane left at 9.30 p.m. with Mrs. Ambedkar, Rattu and the monk Bhadant Anand Kausalyayan on board Keer, Life and Mission, p. 515.

It reached Bombay at about 3 a.m. on 7 December. Crowds took the body in silence to Rajagriha, his old house at Dadar, where people queued for hours. Mills, docks and railway workshops in Bombay closed for the day Keer, Life and Mission, p. 515.

Cremation at Dadar, 7 December 1956

The funeral procession started at 1.50 p.m. A Buddha statuette stood near his head on the flower-covered truck. The procession went through Vincent Road, now Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Road, to the cremation ground at Dadar by the sea. It stretched for two miles and took about four hours to arrive Keer, Life and Mission, p. 516.

Buddhist monks performed the last rites. His son, Yashwantrao, lit the pyre at 7.50 p.m., and the city police sounded the “last post” in his honour Keer, Life and Mission, p. 516. Columbia’s timeline calls it “a huge Buddhist-style funeral procession” ending in cremation “on the seashore” Columbia University – Pritchett timeline, 1950s.

Keer writes that more than half a million people watched, and that “over a lakh” (more than 100,000) people became Buddhists at the cremation ground “to fulfil the last wish of their departed leader” Keer, Life and Mission, p. 516.

Chaitya Bhoomi and Mahaparinirvan Din today

After his death, the Maharashtra government gave land at the Dadar cremation ground for a memorial Keer, Life and Mission, p. 520. A stupa-shaped memorial now stands there, called Chaitya Bhoomi. Forward Press says it was inaugurated on 5 December 1971 by Meera Ambedkar, his daughter-in-law Forward Press – “Chaitya Bhoomi: India’s most visited death memorial”.

His death anniversary is called Mahaparinirvan Din (or Diwas). Parinirvana is a Buddhist word for final release at death, and the name reflects his place as a Buddhist leader Drishti IAS – “65th Mahaparinirvan Diwas”. Every 6 December, lakhs of people come to Chaitya Bhoomi to pay their respects Forward Press.

The house at 26 Alipur Road was dedicated to the nation on 2 December 2003 PIB, 2 December 2003. A new Dr. Ambedkar National Memorial, shaped like an open book, opened there on 13 April 2018 PIB, 13 April 2018.

Where sources disagree

• Exact time of death. Columbia’s timeline says the night of 5 December or early 6 December. Keer only says he was found dead on the morning of 6 December. Official records use 6 December 1956 Pritchett timeline Keer, pp. 513–514 PIB 2018.
• When he finished Buddha or Karl Marx. Columbia’s timeline says 2 December. Keer describes it after his account of 3 December. His collected works print the essay without a completion date Pritchett timeline Keer, pp. 510–511 BAWS Vol. 3, p. 439.
• Size of the funeral crowd. Keer: “more than half a million”. Forward Press: about 5 lakh in the procession. India’s mission in Geneva: “at least half a million mourners” Keer, p. 516 Forward Press Permanent Mission of India, Geneva.
• Conversions at the cremation. Keer gives “over a lakh”. We found no independent count.
• When the Chaitya Bhoomi stupa was built. Keer says a stupa was put up in 1968. Forward Press says the memorial was inaugurated on 5 December 1971 Keer, p. 520 Forward Press.
• Name of the Kathmandu meeting. Columbia and Keer call it the Fourth (World) Buddhist Conference of the WFB. The BAWS introduction calls it the “world Buddhists Council Conference” Pritchett timeline BAWS Vol. 17 Part 3, p. 549.

Read more

• “Buddha or Karl Marx”, Kathmandu speech, BAWS Vol. 17 Part 3, pp. 549–558 — his last major speech.
• Dhananjay Keer, Dr. Ambedkar: Life and Mission, chapter “The Last Journey” (Internet Archive) — the most detailed account of his final weeks.
• Columbia University – Pritchett timeline, 1950s — a short, reliable year-by-year summary.
• PIB – Dr. Ambedkar National Memorial at 26 Alipur Road (2018) — the history of the house and the memorial.
• Forward Press – Chaitya Bhoomi photo feature — the cremation site and memorial in Mumbai.