23, Oct 2015

The conversion took place at a significantly simple function during which the 90 persons, including nine women, were given “diksha”.
Written by Parimal Dabhi | Ahmedabad | Updated: October 23, 2015 5:38 am
Two years after 5,000 Dalits converted to Buddhism in Junagadh in Gujarat, 90 Dalits embraced Buddhism at a programme organised by the Gujarat Buddhist Academy in Dholka town of Ahmedabad district on Thursday. The Dalits, who come from Ahmedabad’s Jivraj Park area, include 27-year-old Bhamini Delwadia, an MBA, who belongs to the Scheduled Caste (SC).
Bhamini was joined by 89 other Dalits, including four of her family members, at the newly-built Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Hall in Sonar Kui locality of Dholka, 30 km from Ahmedabad City.
The 90 Dalits, most of them between 20-35 years, took “diksha” from Bhikshu Pragnya Ratna, a Dhamma pracharak from The Great Ashoka Buddha Vihar in Porbandar, and general secretary of Gujarat region of Akhil Bharatiya Bhikshu Mahasangh. Bhikshu Pragnya Ratna was also joined by Bhikshu Padmasambhav from Surat and Bhikshu Pragnavansh from Madhya Pradesh as Buddhist religious leaders at the function attended by around 500 persons.