Some interesting facts about Dr BR Ambedkar's life
Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, born on 14 April 1891, was an Indian jurist, economist and a Dalit leader who headed the drafting committee of the constitution of India. Ambedkar served as Law and Justice Minister in the first cabinet of Jawaharlal Nehru and inspired the Dalit Buddhist movement after renouncing Hinduism.
He played the role of the chief architect of the Indian constitution and fought against the caste divide in society. He always stood for the upliftment of the lower classes and their equal rights, especially people from the Dalit community. Well, his works and contribution to the Indian society to make it better is a never-ending narration, but today on his birth anniversary let’s go through some facts related to his lifestyle.
Clothes
BR Ambedkar was a simple person in terms of his choice of clothes and always chose comfort over fashion.
Ambedkar used to wore dhoti, Kurta and pyjama in summers and in winters, he used to wear a woollen shirt, coat, sweater, and muffler. Overcoat and shawls, hat and cap on special occasions.
Food
Ambedkar always preferred simple food like plain rice, dal — arhar and masoor being his preferred choice.
Many don’t know that he was an expert cook and used to prepare meals for himself. At times, he would go for chicken and fish.
Books
Talking about the books, Ambedkar was a book lover and used to say that everyone must invest at least 10 per cent of their income to purchase books.
The Artist
Ambedkar had a keen interest in painting and used to tell everyone to devote time to art and stuff. Though he desired to be an artist, he was able to paint a portrait of Lord Buddha.
Gardening
The architect of the Indian constitution was also an ‘architect’ of gardening and had even maintained his garden at 22, Prithivi Raj Road, his official residence when he served as labour minister.
His garden was commented as the best and most picturesque by the Daily Mail.
Pet Animals
Babasaheb was a pet lover, especially a dog lover. He used to have many dogs who he brought from various parts of the country and also had a pet deer.
Library
Babasaheb Ambedkar’s book library in Mumbai was specially designed according to his liking and had a vast collection of books. His library between 1924 and 1934 was termed the biggest in Mumbai.
Fountain Pen and Stationary
Ambedkar had a fascination with collecting fountain pens. His collection ranged from Parker, Sheaffer and Waterman to name a few.
Cars
Babasahed had two cars one in Bombay and the other one in Delhi.
The Bombay one he used for visiting courts and attending legislative assembly while the Delhi one he used to use for attending parliamentary sessions.
The Haunted House
In July 1942, Ambedkar was searching for a house in Delhi when he took over as in-charge of Executive Councillor in New Delhi (Labour Ministry). But no house was big enough to accommodate his vast collection of books.
In the end, he could find a place at Prithivi Raj Marg in New Delhi. But the watchmen of the house said that it was haunted. Even the CPWD engineer also demotivated him, but Ambedkar went ahead and decided to choose it.
Babasaheb said he had seen all kinds of ghosts and spirits ever since his entry into Indian politics, so let’s have a new experience.
The house was painted and decorated to his taste, especially the garden area.
