The tallest statue of Bharat Ratna Dr BR Ambedkar, the Principal Architect of India’s Constitution, outside India was formally inaugurated in a Maryland suburb of Washington DC, US, on October 14. More than 500 Indian-Americans from across the country and some from other countries attended the unveiling ceremony of the 19-feet-tall Statue of Equality.
The statue located at the Ambedkar International Center (AIC) has been made by renowned artist and sculptor Ram Sutar, who also built the statue of Sardar Patel, Statue of Unity, installed on an island in river Narmada in Gujarat, India.
Spread over 13 acres, the AIC in Accokeek township, about 22 miles south of the White House, would consist of a library, convention center, and Buddha Garden, among others. The statue will not only inspire millions of Indians residing in the US, but also all communities, including Black, Hispanic and others, believe his followers. The unveiling ceremony of the statue was followed by cultural performances by Indian-Americans from various parts of the country.
Born on April 14, 1891, Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar was the Chairman of the Constituent Assembly’s most crucial Drafting Committee. He died on December 6, 1956, months after he embraced Buddhism on October 14 that year, the day celebrated as Dhamma Chakra Parivartan Din.
