According to the 1981 census, there were approximately 538,000 Buddhists in Bangladesh, representing less than 1 percent of the population. Demographic overview Buddhism in Bangladesh by decades As of 2014, followers of Buddhism are mainly people of Baruas living in Chittagong city, the business city of Bangladesh and indigenous Arakanese descent living in the sub-tropical Chittagong Hill Tracts. People who follow Buddhism in Bangladesh belong to the Barua people in majority with the percentage of 65% among the 0.07% population of Bangladesh, Chakma, Chak, Marma, Tanchangya and the Khyang, who had been since time immemorial have practiced Buddhism. Other tribes, notably those who practice Animism, have come under some Buddhist influence, and this is true in the case of the Khumi and the Mru, and to a lesser extent on the other tribes. Buddhist sites Somapura Mahavihara in Naogaon, Rajshahi Division was built during the Pala-era and was part of a network of monasteries including Nalanda, Vikramashila and Jaggadala. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Jagaddala Mahavihara in Naogaon, Rajshahi was an 11th century Buddhist monastic establishment located in the historical Varendra region. Was probably active till at least the 12th century. Halud Vihara in Naogaon, Rajshahi Agrapuri Vihara in Naogaon, Rajshahi Vasu Vihara in Bogra, Rajshahi Sitakot Vihara in Nawabganj, Rangpur Division. Bhitagarh in Panchagarh District, Rangpur Division. Pandit Vihara in Chittagong Bikrampur Vihara in Bikrampur, Dhaka Division. Shalban Vihara in Comilla Wari-Bateshwar ruins in Narsingdi, Dhaka Division. Nateshwar Deul, in Munshiganj, Dhaka Division Culture There are several active monasteries in the Chittagong, and in most Buddhist villages there is a school (kyong) where boys live and learn to read Bengali (national language) and some Pali (an ancient Buddhist scriptural language). It is common for men who have finished their schooling to return at regular intervals for periods of residence in the school. The local Buddhist shrine is often an important center of village life. Buddhism outside the monastic retreats has absorbed and adapted indigenous popular creeds and beliefs of the regions to which it has spread. In most areas religious ritual focuses on the image of the Buddha, and the major festivals observed by Buddhists in Bangladesh commemorate the important events of his life. Although doctrinal Buddhism rejects the worship of gods and preserves the memory of the Buddha as an enlightened man, popular Buddhism contains a pantheon of gods and lesser deities headed by the Buddha.