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{{short description|Buddhist organization in India, founded by B. R. Ambedkar}}
{{Infobox organization
| name = Buddhist Society of India
| logo =
| caption = Official logo of the Buddhist Society of India
| abbreviation =
| formation = {{start date and age|1955|05|04|p=y|df=yes}}
| type =
| status = Active
| purpose = Spread of Buddhism
| headquarters = Dadar East, 17/A, Gautam Nagar at [[Mumbai]], in [[Maharashtra]], [[India]]
| language = Marathi, Hindi, English
| leader_title = National President
| leader_name = Meeratai Yashwant Ambedkar
| leader_title2 = National Working President
| leader_name2 = Bhimrao Yashwant Ambedkar
| main_organ =
| affiliations = [[World Fellowship of Buddhists]]
| volunteers =
| slogan =
| founder = [[B. R. Ambedkar]]
| coordinates = 19.0141501,72.8436014
| origins =
| area_served = India
| method =
| membership =
| homepage = https://www.thebuddhistsocietyofindia.com/
}}

The '''Buddhist Society of India''', known as the '''Bharatiya Bauddha Mahasabha''', is a national Buddhist organization in [[India]]. It was founded by [[B. R. Ambedkar]] on 4 May 1955 in [[Mumbai]], [[Maharashtra]], [[India]]. Ambedkar was the father of the [[Constitution of India|Indian Constitution]], [[polymath]], human rights activist and [[Buddhism]] revivalist in India. He was first national President of the organization. At a ceremony held on 8 May 1955 in Nare Park, [[Bombay]] (now Mumbai), Ambedkar formally announced the establishment of this organization for the spread of [[Buddhism in India]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.thebuddhistsocietyofindia.in |title=The Buddhist Society of India|website=www.thebuddhistsocietyofindia.in
|access-date=2018-11-28}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=I-7bUX0E6cMC&dq=Bharatiya+Bauddha+Mahasabha&pg=PA14|title=Babasaheb Ambedkar|last1=Rao|first1=Kurukundi Raghavendra|last2=Goswami|first2=Mamani Rayachama|last3=Goswāmī|first3=Māmaṇi Raẏachama|last4=Goswami|first4=Indira|last5=Goswami|first5=Mamani Raisam|date=1993|publisher=Sahitya Akademi|isbn=9788172011529|language=en}}</ref> Its headquarter is in [[Mumbai]]. Currently [https://mr.wikipedia.org/s/4ic1 Meeratai Yashwant Ambedkar], the daughter in law of B. R. Ambedkar, is the National President of the Buddhist Society of India and [https://mr.wikipedia.org/s/4bed Bhimrao Yashwant Ambedkar] is Working President of The '''Buddhist Society of India.'''

==History==
[[File:Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar.jpg|right|thumb|[[B. R. Ambedkar]].]]
B. R. Ambedkar studied Buddhism all his life. Around 1950, he devoted his attention to Buddhism and travelled to [[Ceylon]] (now [[Sri Lanka]]) to attend a meeting of the [[World Fellowship of Buddhists]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Sangharakshita|title=Ambedkar and Buddhism|year=2006|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass Publishers|location=New Delhi|isbn=978-8120830233|page=72|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e-b2EzNRxQIC&pg=PA72|edition=1st South Asian |accessdate=17 July 2013|chapter=Milestone on the Road to conversion}}</ref> While dedicating a new Buddhist [[vihara]] near [[Pune]], Ambedkar announced he was writing a book on Buddhism, and that when it was finished, he would formally convert to Buddhism.<ref name="Columbia7">{{cite web| last = Pritchett| first = Frances|url=http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00ambedkar/timeline/1950s.html| title = In the 1950s| format = PHP| accessdate = 2 August 2006| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060620200055/http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00ambedkar/timeline/1950s.html| archivedate= 20 June 2006 | url-status=live}}</ref> He twice visited [[Burma]] (now [[Myanmar]]) in 1954; the second time to attend the third conference of the World Fellowship of Buddhists in [[Rangoon]].<ref name="Docker">{{cite book |editor1-last=Ganguly |editor1-first=Debjani |editor2-last=Docker |editor2-first=John |title=Rethinking Gandhi and Nonviolent Relationality: Global Perspectives |series= Routledge studies in the modern history of Asia |volume=46 |year=2007 |publisher=Routledge |location=London |isbn=978-0415437400 |oclc=123912708 |page=257}}</ref> In July 1951 he formed the "Bharatiya Bauddha Janasangh" (''Indian Buddhist People's Organisation''), which became the "Bharatiya Bauddha Mahasabha" or the "Buddhist Society of India" in May 1955.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WvjHMX8ksIsC&dq=Bharatiya+Bauddha+Mahasabha&pg=PT120|title=Ambedkar: Towards An Enlightened India|first=Gail|last=Omvedt|date=17 April 2017|publisher=Random House Publishers India Pvt. Limited|via=Google Books|isbn=9789351180883}}</ref><ref name="Quack">{{cite book |last1=Quack |first1=Johannes |title=Disenchanting India: Organized Rationalism and Criticism of Religion in India |year=2011 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0199812608 |oclc=704120510 |page=88}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[World Buddhist Sangha Council]]
* [[International Buddhist Confederation]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{official|https://www.thebuddhistsocietyofindia.com/}}
* [https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/battle-to-head-ambedkars-society-nears-end-in-hc-2/ Battle to head Ambedkar's Buddhist Society of India nears end in the High Court]

{{Buddhism topics}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Religious organizations established in 1955]]
[[Category:1955 establishments in Bombay State]]
[[Category:Buddhist organisations based in India]]
[[Category:B. R. Ambedkar]]
[[Category:Navayana]]
[[Category:Buddhism in India]]
[[Category:Buddhism in Maharashtra]]

Buddhist Society of India - Revision history

UpdateBot at 17:54, 7 June 2022