In 1956, Ambedkar adopted Buddhism with lakhs of people as "Dalits' path to liberation". Therefore, there is a lot of interest towards Buddhism among the Indian society especially Dalits. Being influenced by Ambedkar, every year thousands of people accept Buddhism. Most of the converts have come from Hindu Dalit community, who consider Ambedkar as their Messiah or liberator. Influenced by Ambedkar, many famous people have embraced Buddhism, including people like Mallikarjun Kharge, Ramdas Athawale, Udit Raj, Laxman Mane, Poolan Devi, Sushma Andhare, Eknath Awad, etc.