List of converts to Hinduism
The following is a list of converts to Hinduism from other religions or a non-religious background.
From Abrahamic religions
Christianity
- Chantal Boulanger - French anthropologist who wrote widely on Tamil culture.[1]
- Claudia Ciesla - German model, actress, and singer embraced Hinduism and believes in Karma.
- Job Charnock - British trade agent who has been controversially described as the founder of Calcutta[2]
- Ilan Chester - Venezuelan singer, keyboardist, arranger and composer[3]
- Alice Coltrane (raised Baptist but became a follower of Satya Sai Baba) - American jazz pianist, organist, harpist, and composer[4][5]
- Michael Cremo - American creationist, author, and editor[6]
- Bhagavan Das (born Kermit Michael Riggs) - Western Yogi and former born again Christian[7]
- Roy Eugene Davis - American Kriya Yoga teacher[8]
- Krishna Dharma - British author and convert to Gaudiya Vaishnavism under ISKCON[9]
- David Frawley - author on Hinduism, Yoga and Ayurveda[10]
- Elizabeth Gilbert - author of Eat Pray Love[11]
- George Harrison - popular English musician, best known as a member of The Beatles who died chanting the Hare Krishna Mahamantra in the company of monks from ISKCON.[12] He is also known for donating Bhaktivedanta Manor, a Hindu temple to the Hare Krishna community in Britain.[13]
- Lawrence Raghavendra - Tamil & Telugu choreographer,film actor, director, composer and philanthropist.[14]
- Christopher Isherwood - Anglo-American novelist[15]
- Jomol - Malayali actress[16]
- Lizy (actress) - (born Aliyamma Malayalam of Elizabeth adopted the name Lakshmi) Malayalam Actress[17]
- Swami Kriyananda (born J. Donald Walters) - direct disciple of the yogi Paramahansa Yogananda
- Timothy Leary - Harvard professor and American writer and psychologist[18]
- Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami - one of the eleven senior Americans selected to become an initiating guru in ISKCON.[19][20][21][22][23][24]
- Savitri Devi Mukherji (born Maximiani Portas) - French woman who became enamoured with Hinduism and Nazism, trying to synthesise Hinduism with Nazi philosophy and racial ideology
- Sister Nivedita (born Margaret Elizabeth Noble) - Anglo-Irish social worker, author, and teacher[25]
- Leelawathy Ramanathan - Australia-born Hindu writer and activist. Converted upon marrying Ponnambalam Ramanathan[26]
- John Levy - British philosopher who translated books on Advaita Vedanta[27]
- Annie (actress) - (born Annie Jobbie adopted the name Chitra) Malayalam Actress[28]
- Joseph Ritson - English antiquarian and traveller[29]
- Julia Roberts - American Actress.[30]
- Han Snel - Dutch painter of Bali[31]
- Satyananda Stokes - Famous English farmer in Himachal Pradesh[32]
- Bhakti Tirtha Swami (born John E. Favors) - American Hindu leader and disciple of Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada[33]
- Romapada Swami - Preacher of ISKCON.[34]
- Kenneth R. Valpey - Gaudiya Vaishnava Theologian who studied at Oxford University, St. Cross College[35]
- Shaunaka Rishi Das (born Timothy Kiernan) - Director of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies
- Nayantara (born Diana Mariam Kurian) - South Indian Actress, model[36]
Islam
- Bukka I - King of Vijayanagara empire who converted to Islam, then reconverted. The early life of Bukka as well as his brother Hakka (also known as Harihara I) are relatively unknown and most accounts of their early life are based on theories.[38][39]
- Nargis - noted Bollywood actress, politician, and social worker. Mother of actor Sanjay Dutt she converted to Hinduism and took the name of Nirmala Dutt on her marriage to actor Sunil Dutt
- Annapurna Devi (born Roshanara Khan) - surbahar (bass sitar) player and music teacher in the North Indian classical tradition. She converted to Hinduism upon marriage.[40]
- Harilal Mohandas Gandhi - son of Mahatma Gandhi. Upon converting to Islam he adopted the name Abdullah Gandhi, but later again reverted back to Hinduism.[37]
- Asha Gawli - (born Ayesha) Wife of Arun Gawli, notorious gangster turned politician from Mumbai, India. She converted to Hinduism upon marriage.[41]
- Harihara I - King of Vijayanagara Empire who converted to Islam, then reconverted[39]
- Aashish Khan (born Ustad Aashish Khan Debsharma) - Indian musician[42]
- Hassan Palakkode - Malayali writer on Islam[43]
- Netaji Palkar - Maratha noble and commander-in-chief of the army of Shivaji, 19 June 1676.[44][45][46]
- Sarmad - 17th century mystical poet and sufi saint, arrived from Persia to India, beheaded for assumed heresy by the Mughal emperor, Aurungzebe. Sarmad renounced Judaism, briefly converting to Islam and then Hinduism. He later denounced all religions and rejected belief in god.[47][48]
- Anwar Shaikh - British author.[49]
- Ifa Sudewi - Chief judge for the 2002 Bali bombing trials[50][51]
- Khushboo Sundar - Tamil movie actress. She converted to Hinduism upon marriage.[52]
- Haridas Thakura - Prominent Vaishnavite saint, instrumental in the early appearance and spread of Hare Krishna movement.[53]
- Zubeida - Hindi film actress, on whose life story the film Zubeidaa was based. She converted to Hinduism upon marriage.[54]
- Nalini Patel (born Nayyara Mirza) - Miss India finalist of 1967, was the first Muslim to participate in the pageant. She converted to Hinduism after marriage. She is settled in the USA.[55]
- Sonam (born Bakhtawar Murad) - Wife of Bollywood director Rajiv Rai. She converted to Hinduism upon marriage. She is the niece of character actor Raza Murad and granddaughter of veteran character actor Murad. She is the cousin of actress Sanober Kabir.
- Fatima Ghadially (wife of ajith agarkar) - converted to Hinduism after marriage
Judaism
From other Dharmic religions
Buddhism
Jainism
Other
Other faiths and religions
From non-religious backgrounds
Undetermined former religion
- Russell Brand-Actor,husband of Katy Perry
- Agehananda Bharati (born Leopold Fischer) - academic Sanskritist, a prolific author about religious subjects, and a Hindu monk in the Dasanami Sannyasi order[74]
- Alain Daniélou (convert to Shaivism) - French historian, intellectual, musicologist, and Indologist[75]
- Ambarish Das (born Alfred Ford) - American businessman, great-grandson of Henry Ford, and a follower of Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (the founder of ISKCON)[76][77]
- Urmila Devi Dasi (born Edith E. Best) - female ISKCON educator[78][79]
- Geoffrey Giuliano - American biographer[80]
- Nina Hagen (follower of Haidakhan Babaji) - German singer[81]
- Aldous Huxley (disciple of Swami Prabhavananda) - English writer who emigrated to the United States, author of Brave New World[82]
- Joe Don Looney (follower of Swami Muktananda) - football player[83]
- J. Mascis - Lead vocalist, guitarist, and drummer for Dinosaur Jr.[84]
- John McLaughlin (became a disciple of Sri Chinmoy) - jazz fusion guitar player[85]
- Lex Hixon (syncretist and disciple of Swami Nikhilananda) - poet, philosopher, spiritual practitioner and teacher[86]
- Mathias Rust - German daredevil pilot[87]
- J. D. Salinger - American author best known for The Catcher in the Rye[88]
- Kelli Williams - American actress who played Lindsay Dole Donnell on the ABC legal drama The Practice.[89]
- Ricky Williams - Miami Dolphins football player.[90]
- Crispian Mills - English rock singer named Krishna Kantha dasa. He wrote a foreword to a book by Bhaktivinoda Thakur titled Sri Siksastaka.[91]
- Jeffrey Armstrong - Canadian Author, Speaker, Poet[92]
See also
References
- ^ Obituary: Chantal Boulanger-Maloney; Cultural anthropologist who documented 100 styles of sari draping.(Obituaries) The Independent - April 8, 2005
- ^ Indian Renaissance: British Romantic Art And the Prospect of India - Hermione De Almeida
- ^ Havi Das Wins Latin Grammy Award ISKCON News - December 10, 2008
- ^ Jazz Musician Alice Coltrane dead at 69 News Australia - January 15, 2007
- ^ Alice Coltrane; Musician, Spiritual Guru Washington Post - January 15, 2007
- ^ Review: Forbidden Archaeology's Impact National Center for Science Education - May 1999
- ^ The Hippie And The Beastie - Bhagavan Das - Brief Article Bnet Research - July 2001
- ^ Meditate for a healthy living Times of India - October 13, 2002
- ^ Krishna Dharma Dasa ISKCON UK
- ^ Religion and ethnicity The Hindu - May 27, 2003
- ^ mumbaiboss.com
- ^ George Harrison Died Amid Chants Of Hare Krishna
- ^ Bhaktivedanta Manor
- ^ moviegalleri moviegalleri - January 1, 2010
- ^ Acclaimed American Author Christopher Isherwood Adherents
- ^ *Actress accuses her father Times of India - April 25, 2005
- ^ Lissy Priyadarshan-ON Record,[1], Kannadi, Asianet News. Lissy talks about her faith and religion,Convertion to Hinduism her current life etc.
- ^ Time to Mutate TIME - April 29, 1966
- ^ Smith, Huston; Harry Oldmeadow (2004). Journeys East: 20th century Western encounters with Eastern religious traditions. Bloomington, Ind: World Wisdom. pp. 272. ISBN 0-941532-57-7. "Before his death Prabhupada appointed eleven American devotees as gurus."
- ^ Rochford, E. Burke (1985). Hare Krishna in America. New Brunswick, N.J: Rutgers University Press. pp. 222. ISBN 0-8135-1114-3. "In the months preceding his death Srila Prabhupada appointed eleven of his closest disciples to act as initiating gurus for ISKCON"
- ^ Ron Rhodes (2001). Challenge of the Cults and New Religions. Zondervan. pp. 179. ISBN 0-310232171. ""Before Prabhupada died in 1977, he selected senior devotees who would continue to direct the organization.""
- ^ Rodney Stark (1985). Religious movements. Paragon House Publishers. pp. 100. ISBN 0913757438. "Satsvarupa dasa Goswami, one of the eleven initiating gurus Bhaktivedanta appointed to succeed him..."
- ^ Shinn ISKCON Communications Journal-1994, 2.1
- ^ Hare Krishna leader visits local followers Daily Collegian, Penn State University, August 5, 1981
- ^ Defying the Hindutva canon The Hindu - January 30, 2004
- ^ Lady Ramanathan Passes away The Hindu - January 31, 1953
- ^ Sedgwick, Mark. Against The Modern World: Traditionalism And The Secret Intellectual History Of The Twentieth Century. New York: Oxford University Press, USA, 2004. 93. Print.
- ^ Chithra & Shajikailas Interview-ON Asianet News,[2]
- ^ Morton, Timothy, Marilyn Butler, and James Chandler. Shelley and the Revolution in Taste : The Body and the Natural World. New York: Cambridge UP, 1995.
- ^ Blake, Heidi (2010-08-05). "Julia Roberts: I'm a Hindu". Daily Telegraph (London). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/film-news/7928961/Julia-Roberts-Im-a-Hindu.html.
- ^ "Exhibit reveals Han Snel's undying love for Bali", Jakarta Post, May 29, 2008
- ^ The Pacific Historical review http://www.jstor.org/stable/3640095?seq=20
- ^ Official Site - Bhakti Tirtha Swami
- ^ Biography on Romapada's website
- ^ Kenneth Valpey - ISKCON News
- ^ sify.com
- ^ a b Watching 'Gandhi my Father' was painful: Tushar
- ^ Bukka I
- ^ a b Chopra, P.N. T.K. Ravindran and N. Subrahmaniam.History of South India. S. Chand, 2003. ISBN 8121901537
- ^ Unveiling the mystique of a reclusive artiste The Hindu - June 28, 2006
- ^ Daddy in jail, Mummy seeks votes for both - Indian express
- ^ Indian musician goes back to roots OneIndia - August 23, 2006
- ^ Muslim scholar embraces Hinduism The Tribune, Chandigarh - April 7, 2000
- ^ hindubooks.org
- ^ hero-to-modern-india.blogspot.com
- ^ "indatime.com". http://www.indiatime.com/category/religion/.
- ^ Sarmad, the mystic poet
- ^ Hazrat Sarmad Shaheed: The Naked Sufi Martyr
- ^ Hindu response to the demographic challenge - Koenraad Elst
- ^ Five bombers were prepared to die in Bali - The Sunday Telegraph - Australia - Newstext
- ^ Five bombers were prepared to die The Australian - May 25, 2003
- ^ Southern siren Namitha has a temple NDTV - July 10, 2008
- ^ Haridasa Thakura
- ^ Zubeidaa’s secret Times of India - July 11, 2003
- ^ "1964-1970". The Times Of India. http://feminamissindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2698838.cms.
- ^ Ram Dass - the official interactive Satsang site for author (Be Here Now) and spiritual teacher Ram Dass
- ^ Thakur, Upendra. The Hunas in India. The Chowkhamba Senskrit, Banaras, 1967.
- ^ Dona Catherina: the last empress of Lanka Lanka Library
- ^ Divatia 42
- ^ Divatia, N. B. (1993). Gujarati Language and Literature. Asian Educational Services. ISBN 8120606485.
- ^ Coins of India Calcutta : Association Press ; New York : Oxford University Press, 1922
- ^ Kan Sastri, A History of South India, p382-383
- ^ Mysore: A Gazetteer Compiled for Government - Benjamin Lewis Rice
- ^ An Introduction to the History of Tamil People A Velupillai
- ^ A. L. Basham, The Wonder That Was India, 3rd ed. (Oxford: Taplinger Pub. Co., 1967), p. 60.
- ^ Manipur, The - Banglapedia
- ^ Shimray, R.R. Origin and Culture of Nagas. Pamleiphi Shimray, 1985
- ^ Neog, Maheshwar. Religions of the North-east: Studies in the Formal Religions of North. Munshiram Manoharlal, 1984.
- ^ Krishna, Manmohan. Political Consciousness In Indian English Writing: A Study Of Manohar Malgonkar, Naintara Sahgal & Bhabani Bhattacharya.1991, Bahri Publications. ISBN 8170340624
- ^ Besant, Annie. The Building of the Kosmos and Other Lectures: Delivered at the Eighteenth. The Path, 1894.
- ^ "John Dobson: Amateur Astronomy's Revolutionary". space.com. http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/astronomy/dobson_astronomer_000507.html.
- ^ Wall Street Journal Article about John
- ^ Goel, Sita Ram, "How I became a Hindu"
- ^ Agehananda Bharati
- ^ Shiva and the Primordial Tradition - Inner Traditions
- ^ Alfred Ford Takes a Turn to the Spiritual New York Times - November 9, 1981
- ^ Alfred Ford: The billionaire bhakt Times of India - 6 Mar, 2005
- ^ U - Srila Prabhupada Disciple Database
- ^ iskcon.com - ISKCON Communications Journal - ICJ
- ^ "Former Ronald McDonald Turns Vegetarian Activist". Hinduism Today. March 1991. http://www.hinduismtoday.com/archives/1991/03/1991-03-03.shtml. Retrieved 2007-02-06.
- ^ Nina Hagen official website
- ^ Vedanta's Western Poet Hinduism Today - September 1999
- ^ Dozier 152
- ^ exclaim.ca
- ^ John McLaughlin Adherents.com
- ^ Lex Hixon.org
- ^ German daredevil grounded by court Guardian Unlimited - April 21, 2001
- ^ Affiliation of Writer J. D. Salinger - Adherents
- ^ Kelli Williams Quotes and Trivia at MovieTome
- ^ Although odd, Ricky Williams isn't without his charms Pro Football Weekly - November 23, 2007
- ^ Bhaktivinoda Thakura (1997) Sri Siksastaka, ISBN 81-86737-06-5 Retrieved on 2008-06-01. "Through the mercy of sri guru and Vaishnavas, we may understand the deeper meaning of Mahaprabhu’s Siksastakam, embrace it in our lives and let it gently melt our hearts. Krishna-kanta dasa (Crispian Mills) Bath, England September 21, 1997." Foreword
- ^ jeffreyarmstrong.com