Deekshabhoomi

Deekshabhoomi is a sacred monument of Buddhism at the place where Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar was converted to Buddhism along with thousands of his followers on October 14, 1956. Dr. Ambedkar’s conversion to Buddhism is still a guidance for the masses in India.
Deekshabhoomi is situated in Nagpur, a location regarded as a pilgrimage center of Buddhism in India. Thousands of pilgrims visit Deekshabhoomi every year, especially on Ashok Vijaya Dashmi and the 14th of October. A great stupa is built at that place.
Deeksha literally means acceptance of religion. Deeksha is to Buddhism as Baptism is to Christanity. Bhoomi means land. So, literally Deekshabhoomi means the land where people get converted to Buddhism. Deekshabhoomi is one of the two places of great importance in the life of Dr. Ambedkar, another being Chaityabhoomi at Mumbai.
Deekshabhoomi is famous for its architectural beauty and historical importance. It is also one of the main centers of tourism in India.
Indian Railway has named an express from Nagpur to Gaya as Deekshabhoomi Express.

The stupa of the sacred Deekshabhoomi was designed by famous architect Sheo Dan Mal. Construction of the stupa started in July 1978, but it took a long time to finish. Sagar Enterprise of Mumbai, (Mr. H. C. Vakharia and Mr. Sandip Vakharia,) has completed structural work. The stupa was opened for the people on December 18, 2001 after a formal inaugration by the then President of India Dr. K. R. Narayanan.

Design of the stupa at Deekshabhoomi is based upon the architecture of the world famous stupa of Sanchi. But unlike the stupa of Sanchi, Deekshabhoomi stupa is completely hollow from inside. It is the largest hollow stupa among all Buddhist stupas in the world. At the ground floor, there is a 211 x 211 feet large square hall. At the centre of this hall, an idol of Buddha is placed. This idol was donated to Deekshabhoomi by Thai students learning in the university of Nagpur. There is also a library and a photo exhibition of the events in the lives of Gautama Buddha and Dr. Ambedkar.
Above the hall, there is a hollow dome. This dome is surrounded by a veranda. On all the four directions of the dome, fountains are there. Above the dome, there is a small slab and a little decorative umbrella. A high quality marble from Dholpur, Rajasthan is used for the flooring of the stupa. The stupa has doors on four directions. The doors open in large arcs, which are decorated with Ashok Chakras, and statues of horses, elephants, and lions, which gives an ancient look.
Around the stupa, there is a garden which is maintained by Nagpur Improvement Trust. Statues of Dr. Ambedkar and idols Gautama Buddha are situated in front of the stupa.

In front of the stupa, on the right hand side, there is a Buddha Vihara with a bronze idol of lord Buddha. Facilities are also made there for the bhikkhus to live.
Besides the Vihara, there is the Bodhi Tree, which is a sacred fig tree. This Bodhi Tree was planted at Deekshabhoomi from three branches of the Bodhi Tree at Anuradhapuram in Srilanka. Bhadant Anand Kausalyayan had brought these branches from Srilanka as the memoir of Buddha’s enlightenment.

Source: Wikipedia

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