Mayawati pays tribute to Ambedkar's Buddhist guru

Lucknow, Dec 2: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Saturday paid floral tribute to Buddhist monk Bhante Pragyanand, one of the seven monks who initiated Dalit icon Babasahed Bhim Rao Ambedkar into Buddhism.

Pragyanand died at the age of 90 two days back at a city hospital here.

Mayawati spent some time at the Risaldar park residence of Pragyanand and spoke to Pragyanand's close associates and attendants.

His cremation was scheduled for Friday in Shrawasti district but did not take place as his relatives and family members were yet to arrive from Sri Lanka.

Pragyanand had left Sri Lanka in 1942 and settled in India. He was the last surviving monks helped Ambedkar embrace Buddhism on April 14, 1956 in Nagpur.