New Delhi, Apr 14 : The nation on Tuesday paid rich tribute to Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar on his 118th birth anniversary.

Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) prime ministerial candidate L K Advani came together at a function and paid homage to Ambedkar.

Several functions are being organised in different parts of the country to mark the occasion.

Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar was an Indian jurist, scholar, Bahujan political leader and a Buddhist revivalist.

Ambedkar spent his life fighting untouchability and the Indian caste system.

He is also credited for having sparked off the Dalit Buddhist movement and was honoured with the Bharat Ratna for his contribution to Indian society.

Overcoming numerous social and financial obstacles, Ambedkar became one of the first "untouchables" to obtain a college education in India.

He went on to pursue higher studies in the United States and England, where he earned law degrees and multiple doctorates for his study and research in law, economics and political science.

Returning home as a famous scholar, Ambedkar practiced law for a few years before he began publishing journals that advocated political rights and social freedom for India''s untouchables. (ANI)