Buddhist monk Bhadanta Galgedar Pragyanand, the youngest of seven monastics who conducted the Buddhist refuge ceremony for renowned Indian social activist and reformer Dr. B. R. Ambedkar in 1956, has passed away at King George's Medical University (KGMU) in the northern Indian city of Lucknow. The Sri Lanka-born renunciate died on Thursday last week, just days before his 89th birthday.

Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar (1891–1956), a celebrated scholar, activist, and social reformer popularly known as “Babasaheb,” was a vociferous campaigner against social discrimination who inspired the modern Buddhist movement in India. Having studied Buddhism for much of his life, Dr. Ambedkar accepted the Three Jewels and Five Precepts by formally converting to Buddhism shortly before his own death. Of the group of seven Buddhist monks who presided over the historic ceremony that would become a landmark in Indian Buddhist history, Venerable Bhadanta, born on 18 December 1928, was the last surviving member.

“He was brought in on 26 November after complaints of fever and chest pain, but had multiple age-related medical conditions,” said Prof. S. N. Sankhwar, chief medical superintendent at KGMU. “In the course of treatment, he was diagnosed of infection in lungs which had complicated because of his existing diseases particularly diabetes and blood pressure. The ailment led to his death due to cardio-respiratory failure.” (The Times of India)

Ven. Bhadanta had relatives in Sri Lanka who were unable to travel to India, The Times of India reported, although they were in regular contact with monks in Lucknow. Followers and well-wishers who came to Buddh Vihar to pay their respects to the monk included Uttar Pradesh minister Swami Prasad Maurya.