Mai Ambedkar passes away Mumbai,Thursday, May 29, 2003: Nonagenarian Savita alias Mai Ambedkar, the wife of Dr B R Ambedkar, passed away here today following a prolonged illness.

The end for 94-year-old Mai came at 5.30 am IST this morning at J J Hospital, where she was undergoing treatment for over one-and-a-half month, hospital sources said.

Mai, whose maiden name was Sharda Kabir, was a medical practitioner. She came in contact with Dr Ambedkar in 1947 when the latter was suffering from diabetes and blood pressure.

She married Dr Ambedkar, as his second wife, on April 15, 1948 in New Delhi and was a close witness to his contribution in framing the Indian Constitution and the event of embracing Buddhism.

Mai originally hailed from Dorla village in Rajapur taluka of Ratnagiri district. Her father was registrar of the Indian Medical Council.

She completed here schooling and early education in Pune and obtained her MBBS degree from Mumbai's Grant Medical college in 1937.

After working as chief medical officer at a hospital in Gujarat for a brief period, she came to Mumbai to work with Dr Malvankar, where she met Dr Ambedkar.

(PTI) 13:16 IST