Mumbai, October 11: Ashoka Vijayadashami 2023 is celebrated every year on October 14, 2023, to commemorate the conversion of Samrat Ashoka to Buddhism. It is believed that the great Mauryan emperor Ashoka embraced Buddhism after the bloodshed of the Kalinga War. Following the battle of Kalinga, King Ashoka announced to abandon the path of violence and adopt the teachings of Buddha. Ashoka Vijayadashami is also the day that Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar converted to Buddhism in 1956, which fell on 14 October that year.

King Ashoka’s inscriptions reveal that he conquered the Kalinga region during his 8th regnal year. The war caused extensive destruction, and the suffering he witnessed made him repent of violence. According to Samrat Ashoka’s Major Rock Edict 13, during his conquest of Kalinga, 100,000 men and animals were killed in action, many times, that number “perished,” and 150,000 men and animals were carried away from Kalinga as captives. The Mauryan King states that the repentance of these sufferings caused him to devote himself to the practice and propagation of dharma. Dhammachakra Pravartan Din 2023 Date: Know History and Significance Of Day When Dr BR Ambedkar Embraced Buddhism at Deekshabhoomi.

History and Significance of Ashoka Vijayadashami

On October 14, 1956, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, along with 5 lakh people, converted to Buddhism at Deekshabhoomi in Maharashtra's Nagpur, linking it with the 2500-year-old legacy of Emperor Ashoka. Dr Ambedkar’s conversion to Buddhism gave new impetus to the Dalit Movement in India. Every year, thousands of people embrace Buddhism on Ashoka Vijayadashami. Maha Panchami 2023 Date in Durga Puja Calendar: When Is Subho Panchami? Know Time, Puja Vidhi and Significance of the Auspicious Day in Durgotsav.

Samrat Ashoka's empire covered a large part of the Indian subcontinent, stretching from present-day Afghanistan in the west to present-day Bangladesh in the east, with its capital at Pataliputra. After converting to Buddhism, King Ashok made a pilgrimage to the Bodhi Tree and started propagating dhamma, and performed social welfare activities during his eighth–ninth regnal years, as scripted on his rock edicts. A patron of Buddhism, Emperor Ashok played a significant role in its propagation across ancient Asia.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 11, 2023 05:23 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).