Marathi Buddhists

Marathi Buddhists
Deekshabhoomi monument, located in Nagpur, Maharashtra, where B. R. Ambedkar converted to Buddhism in 1956, is the largest stupa in Asia.[1]
Total population
 India 6,531,200 (2011)
Regions with significant populations
Maharashtra
Languages
Marathi
Religion
Navayana Buddhism
Related ethnic groups
Marathi people

Marathi Buddhists (Marāṭhī Bauddha) are Buddhists of Marathi ethnic and linguistic identity. The religious community resides in the Indian state of Maharashtra. They speak Marathi as their mother-tongue (first language). The Marathi Buddhist community is the largest Buddhist community in India. According to the 2011 Indian census, Marathi Buddhists constitute 5.81% of the population in Maharashtra, which is 77% of the total Buddhist population in India.[2]

  1. ^ Bhagwat, Ramu (19 December 2001). "Ambedkar memorial set up at Deekshabhoomi". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 16 October 2013. Retrieved 1 July 2013.
  2. ^ "Population by religion community – 2011". Census of India, 2011. The Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Archived from the original on 25 August 2015.