Dr. Ambedkar


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This is Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, a major hero to the underclasses here. His figure can be seen anywhere the Dalit classes congragate: portraits, statues, signs, poojas, parks and plaques. He was the first of the Dalit castes to obtain higher education, earning law degrees and multiple doctorates from Columbia University and the London School of Economics. By the time he died in 1956, he had spent a lifetime fighting against the caste system here, evangelizing Hindus to move to Buddhism, and architecting the very first Indian constitution.

This particular representation of Dr. Ambedkar has been painted on a wall along Bannerghatta Road, a main artery through the city here in Bangalore. Every time we pass by, I have been struck by the unusually articulate style, the gorgeous blue, and the fact that the style for some reason kind of reminds me of the Beatles’ Yellow Submarine…!

Click on the image to step back and view from a distance.

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