Since 2015, April has been home to both Dalit History Month (DHM) and Ambedkar Jayanti, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s birthday, which is celebrated annually on April 14. This guide explains the history and meaning of both terms, how the various populations commemorate them, and what governments have done to recognize them. This guide sticks closely to what sources describe.
What is Ambedkar Jayanti?
Ambedkar Jayanti is celebrated to honor the birthday of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar who was born on April 14, 1891 (Bharatpedia, “Ambedkar Jayanti”). It is an official holiday in India (Bharatpedia). For more on the life of Dr. Ambedkar, please see our biography and on his time in New York, see our article on his time at Columbia.
As someone who advocated for equality for all his life, the day is known as “Equality Day” (Bharatpedia). There is a proposal with the United Nations to declare it as such (Bharatpedia). The United Nations has acknowledged the day in 2016, 2017 and 2018 (Bharatpedia). Please refer to the log because it is based on a single source.
Who started the celebration?
Ambedkar’s birthday has been celebrated since it’s first public celebration on April 14, 1928 by activist Janardan Sadashiv Ranpise (Bharatpedia) in Pune. Ranpise began celebrating Ambedkar Jayanti (Bharatpedia). 2016 was the 125th anniversary of Ambedkar’s birth (Bharatpedia). Our guide on the Jai Bhim greeting describes how followers greet each other on the day.
How do people mark April 14 Ambedkar?
On April 14, Ambedkarites, and others, honor Ambedkar with events, tributes and talks. You can learn about the other two important days to Ambedkar’s followers with our guides on the Ambedkar House in London, and on the Mahaparinirvan Diwas on December 6. I didn’t find a reliable source on how April 14 is marked in the UK or US, so I’ve described activities primarily as they occur in India.
What is Dalit History Month?
Dalit History Month is a celebration of Dalit History that happens every April. It was launched in 2015 by Dalit Women in a collective (Project Mukti “Dalit History Month 2024”; Mending the Chasm). It is modeled after Black History Month (Project Mukti) and is a community-driven, participatory project (Hyperallergic “Artists Reflect on Dalit History Month”). Our post on Ambedkar and Martin Luther King also explores this.
The organizers of Dalit History Month chose April to honor Mahatma Phule and Dr. Ambedkar, as anti-caste reformers and social activists, and to provide a time to explain the history that is lacking because of the narrative control of the dominant caste. Homegrown lists Dalit History Month events and activities. Equality Labs, which Soundararajan founded, and other groups have designed posters to promote the month. Our entry on Ambedkarite groups has more information on Equality Labs and allied organizations.
Activities for Dalit History Month
There have been a number of creative and community-based events and projects. A 2016 editathon, for example, was a campaign to improve and add articles on Dalit history to Wikipedia. Our post on caste on campus describes activities to promote caste awareness during April, and the post on caste in America describes related activities for the month. During April 2026, which was Dalit History Month, protesters in New York City urged the Indian government to enact a law against discrimination based on caste, according to our legislation tracker.
Ambedkar Jayanti USA and the West: official recognition
I was able to verify examples in Canada. In 2021, British Columbia declared April 14 as “Dr. Ambedkar Equality Day” (Bharatpedia). 2022, was the first time any province in Canada recognized April as Dalit History Month (Mending the Chasm; Wikipedia “Dalit History Month”). The City of Burnaby declared April 14, 2023, as “Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Day of Equality” (Mending the Chasm). In March 2024, the Mayor of Burlington, Ontario, proclaimed April as Dalit History Month and April 14 as “Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar Day of Equity” (Project Mukti; Wikipedia).
In the USA, I found no state or city proclamations to corroborate, therefore, this guide does not include them. We have covered the status and other memorials of Ambedkar in USA and UK in our article “Ambedkar House London”.
Why it matters in the West
The two observances provide a way to teach a neglected part of history. April is a big month for the diaspora, universities and community organizations to celebrate their heritage. Several of our posts reference the events in April. In our post, “Who are the Dalits?” we provide a summary of the community. (Communities documenting their history have increasingly relied on blogging, AI tools and email marketing to write and disseminate their histories. The Ambedkarite Educational Program was designed to teach these skills.)
Takeaway
Ambedkar Jayanti is the celebration of the birthday of B.R. Ambedkar, the first celebrated in public in 1928 in Pune, India. It is observed across India and in other countries as well, including the US. Dalit History Month extends the celebration throughout the month of April, launched by a collective of Dalit women activists in 2015. British Columbia recognized April as Dalit History Month in 2022. There are also city proclamations in Burnaby and Burlington. There are no verified proclamations in the US.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Ambedkar Jayanti?
Celebrations to honor the life of Dr. Ambedkar on the day of his birth, April 14.
What is Dalit History Month?
A month to celebrate Dalit history and culture, observed every April. It was modeled after Black History Month and launched by a collective of Dalit women activists in 2015.
Why is Dalit History Month in April?
April is the birth month of Ambedkar and Jyotirao Phule and the date of Ambedkar Jayanti, April 14.
Is Ambedkar Jayanti celebrated in the U.S?
I couldn’t find a verified U.S state or city proclamation. In Canada, some cities in British Columbia have declared Dalit History Month and Ambedkar Days.
When was the first Ambedkar Jayanti celebrated?
One source claims that it was first celebrated on April 14, 1928, in Pune by an activist named Janardan Sadashiv Ranpise.
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SOURCES
- Bharatpedia, “Ambedkar Jayanti”
- Project Mukti, “Dalit History Month 2024”
- Mending the Chasm, “Celebrating Dalit History Month in April”
- Hyperallergic, “Artists Reflect on Dalit History Month”
- Homegrown, “This April, Educate Yourself About Dalit History Month”
- Young Political Workers, “Dalit History Month”
- Wikipedia, “Dalit History Month”
- Wikipedia, “Thenmozhi Soundararajan”
