Buddhism in India

Buddhism is a world religion, which arose in and around ancient Kingdom of Magadha and is based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama who was deemed a "Buddha" Buddhism spread outside of Magadha starting in the Buddha's lifetime.With the reign of the Buddhist Mauryan Emperor Asoka, Buddhism spread through two main traditions; Theravada which extended south and east and now has widespread following in Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka, and Mahayana, which diffused first west, then north and later east throughout East Asia. In modern times Buddhism has also been popularized in the western world. The practice of Buddhism as a distinct and organized religion declined from the land of its origin in around 13th century, but not without leaving a significant impact. Hindus continued to absorb Buddhist practices and teachings, such as Ahi?sa and the renunciation of the material world. Buddhist practice is most common in Himalayan areas like Ladakh, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim. Buddhism has been reemerging in India since the past century, due to its adoption by many Indian intellectuals, the migration of Buddhist Tibetan exiles, and the mass conversion of hundreds of thousands of Hindu Dalits.