Struggle · 1 Jan 1927

Ambedkar at the Bhima Koregaon pillar, and the yearly gathering

Koregaon (Bhima Koregaon), near Pune, Bombay Presidency (now Maharashtra)

Every 1 January, lakhs of people come to a pillar near Pune.

It marks the battle of Koregaon, fought on 1 January 1818. On 1 January 1927, Dr B. R. Ambedkar visited it at a meeting organised by Shivram Janba Kamble, a writer and activist from a nearby village who had done much to keep the site from being forgotten. Ambedkar returned every year, and his visits are said to have made the pillar widely known among Dalits.

On the 200th anniversary, in 2018, clashes broke out between Dalit groups and Marathas; one person died.

See it on the map and the timeline

What the sources record

Ambedkar visited on the 109th anniversary, 1 January 1927. (1)
The visit was at a meeting organised by Shivram Janba Kamble. (2)
Shivram Janba Kamble, a writer and activist from a nearby village, did much to keep the site from being forgotten. (2)
Ambedkar went on visiting the memorial every year. (3)
His visit is said to have made the memorial widely known among Dalits, with thousands paying homage every 1 January. (1)
Every 1 January, lakhs of people gather at the memorial. (2)
The memorial stands near Perne village on the Pune-Ahmednagar Road. (2)
Ambedkar's own writing places Koregaon in Poona district (Vol. 17). (4)
On 1 January 2018, the 200th anniversary, clashes broke out between Dalit groups and Marathas; one person died and several were injured. (1)

People in this record

Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, visitor and speaker
Shivram Janba Kamble, organiser of the 1927 meeting

Sources

Press. The Quint (Kabir Upmanyu). BR Ambedkar Also Hailed Battle of Koregaon – What Did He Say?. 2 Jan 2018.
Press. The Mooknayak (Pratikshit Singh). Prakash Ambedkar, political leaders pay tribute at the Bhima Koregaon Memorial. 1 Jan 2024.
Shadow. Round Table India (Nitin Dhaktode). Battle of Bhima Koregaon, Mahar Legacy and Contemporary Politics. 2 Jan 2018. Not linked for now: the site has been tampered with.
Primary. Dr. Ambedkar Foundation, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (reprint); first edition Education Department, Government of Maharashtra. Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar: Writings and Speeches, Vol. 17, Part I: Dr. B. R. Ambedkar and His Egalitarian Revolution, Struggle for Human Rights. first edition 4 October 2003; reprint January 2014.

On the map at the centre of Pune district.