Marathi Buddhists
Deekshabhoomi monument, located in Nagpur, Maharashtra, where B. R. Ambedkar converted to Buddhism in 1956, is the largest stupa in Asia. | |
| 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.