Bhima Koregaon is a small village in the Pune district of Maharashtra, India. It is historically significant as the site of the Battle of Bhima Koregaon that took place on January 1, 1818, between the British East India Company and the Peshwa faction of the Maratha Confederacy.
The battle was fought between the British forces, consisting mostly of Dalit Mahar soldiers, and the Peshwa army, which was made up of mostly upper-caste Marathas. The Dalit Mahar soldiers fought on the side of the British and played a significant role in their victory over the Peshwa army.
The Battle of Bhima Koregaon has come to be seen as a symbol of Dalit pride and resistance against caste-based oppression. Every year on January 1, thousands of Dalits gather at the Bhima Koregaon memorial to pay their respects to the soldiers who fought in the battle.
In recent years, Bhima Koregaon has become a site of controversy and tension due to clashes between Dalit groups and right-wing Hindu organizations. The 2018 Bhima Koregaon violence, which occurred during the 200th-anniversary celebrations of the battle, resulted in the death of one person and several injuries. The incident sparked a nationwide debate on the issue of caste-based discrimination and the need for social justice.