The following is a list of converts to Hinduism from other religions or a non-religious background. [edit] From Abrahamic religions [edit] Christianity - Chantal Boulanger - French anthropologist who wrote widely on Tamil culture[1].
- Job Charnock - British trade agent who has been controversially described as the founder of Calcutta[2]
- Alice Coltrane (raised Baptist but became a follower of Satya Sai Baba)- American jazz pianist, organist, harpist, and composer[3][4]
- Russell Brand - British actor and comedian.[5]
- Bhagavan Das (born Kermit Michael Riggs) - Western Yogi and former born again Christian [6]
- Roy Eugene Davis - American Kriya Yoga teacher[7]
- Krishna Dharma - British author and convert to Gaudiya Vaishnavism under ISKCON[8]
- David Frawley - author on Hinduism, Yoga and Ayurveda[9]
- 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.[10][11] He is also known for donating Bhaktivedanta Manor, a Hindu temple to the Hare Krishna community in Britain.[12]
- Christopher Isherwood - Anglo-American novelist[13]
- Jomol - Malayali actress [14]
- Swami Kriyananda (born J. Donald Walters) - direct disciple of the yogi Paramahansa Yogananda
- Timothy Leary - Harvard professor and American writer and psychologist[15]
- 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[16]
- Swami Sivananda Radha - Canadian author on Hinduism and Hindu writer[17]
- Leelawathy Ramanathan - Australia-born Hindu writer and activist. Converted upon marrying Ponnambalam Ramanathan[18]
- Joseph Ritson - English antiquarian and traveler[19]
- Han Snel - Dutch painter of Bali[20]
- Satyananda Stokes - Famous English farmer in Himachal Pradesh[21]
- Bhakti Tirtha Swami (born John E. Favors) - American Hindu leader and disciple of Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada[22]
- Romapada Swami - Preacher of the Gaudiya Math[23].
- Kenneth R. Valpey - Gaudiya Vaishnava Theologian who studied at Oxford University, St. Cross College[24]
- Claudia Ciesla - German Singer, Actress and Model.[25][26]
- 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.[28][29]
- Annapurna Devi (born Roshanara Khan) - surbahar (bass sitar) player and music teacher in the North Indian classical tradition[30]
- Harilal Mohandas Gandhi - son of Mahatma Gandhi. Upon converting to Islam he adopted the name Abdullah Gandhi, but later again reverted back to Hinduism.[27]
- Asha Gawli - (born Ayesha) Wife of Arun Gawli, notorious gangster turned politician from Mumbai, India.[31]
- Harihara I - King of Vijayanagara empire who converted to Islam, then reconverted[29]
- Aashish Khan (born Ustad Aashish Khan Debsharma) - Indian musician[32]
- Hassan Palakkode - Malayali writer on Islam[33]
- Netaji Palkar - Maratha noble and commander-in-chief of the army of Shivaji, 19 June 1676.[34][35][36]
- 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.[37][38]
- Anwar Shaikh - British author. [39]
- Ifa Sudewi - Chief judge for the 2002 Bali bombing trials[40][41]
- Khushboo Sundar - Tamil movie actress[42]
- Haridas Thakura - Prominent Vaishnavite saint, instrumental in the early appearance and spread of Hare Krishna movement. [43]
- Zubeida - Hindi film actress, on whose life story the film Zubeidaa was based[44]
- 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.[45]
- Shanti Devi (born Ashgari) - Mother of yesteryear Bollywood Actress Tabassum. She was daughter of a Maulvi but converted to Hinduism after marriage and even underwent Hindu religious education.[46]
- Nadira Babbar - Wife of actor turned politician Raj Babbar. She converted to Hinduism upon marriage. She was the daughter of communist leader Syed Sajjad Zaheer and Urdu writer Razia Sajjad Zaheer.
- 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.
[edit] Judaism [edit] From other dharmic religions [edit] Buddhism [edit] Jainism [edit] Other faiths and religions [edit] From non-religious backgrounds [edit] Undetermined former religion - Agehananda Bharati (born Leopold Fischer) - academic Sanskritist, a prolific author about religious subjects, and a Hindu monk in the Dasanami Sannyasi order[68]
- Alain Daniélou (convert to Shaivism) - French historian, intellectual, musicologist, and Indologist[69]
- Ambarish Das (born Alfred Ford) - American businessman, great-grandson of Henry Ford, and a follower of Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (the founder of ISKCON)[70][71]
- Urmila Devi Dasi (born Edith E. Best)- senior female ISKCON leader and educator[72][73]
- Geoffrey Giuliano, American biographer [74]
- Nina Hagen (follower of Haidakhan Babaji) - German singer[75]
- Aldous Huxley (disciple of Swami Prabhavananda) - English writer who emigrated to the United States, author of Brave New World[76]
- Joe Don Looney (follower of Swami Muktananda)- football player[77]
- J. Mascis - Lead vocalist, guitarist, and drummer for Dinosaur Jr.[78]
- John McLaughlin (became a disciple of Sri Chinmoy) - jazz fusion guitar player[79]
- Shaunaka Rishi Dasa (Irish convert and member of ISKCON)- founder of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies[80][81]
- Lex Hixon (syncretist and disciple of Swami Nikhilananda) - poet, philosopher, spiritual practitioner and teacher[82]
- Mathias Rust - German daredevil pilot[83]
- Kelli Williams - American actress who played Lindsay Dole Donnell on the ABC legal drama The Practice.[84]
- Ricky Williams - Miami Dolphins football player[85].
- Crispian Mills English rock singer named Krishna Kantha dasa. He wrote a foreword to a book by Bhaktivinoda Thakur titled Sri Siksastaka.[86]
[edit] See also [edit] 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 - Hermoine De Almeida
- ^ Jazz Musician Alice Coltrane dead at 69 News Australia - January 15, 2007
- ^ Alice Coltrane; Musician, Spiritual Guru Washington Post - January 15, 2007
- ^ The future's orange; Can the secret of eternal happiness really be found at Watford Junction? Russell Brand, new devotee of Hare Krishna, certainly thinks so.
- ^ 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
- ^ George Harrison Died Amid Chants Of Hare Krishna
- ^ George Harrison «George comes to Los Angeles, with a stop at UCLA Medical Center, for drugs and pain management. Then he departs to Paul’s house on Heather in Beverly Hills, to die. It was 36 hours of George drifting in and out of consciousness, with his wife and son at his side. One outsider allowed was George’s friend Ravi Shankar, who played sitar music. According to Shankar, George positioned two pictures of Hindu gods Krishna and Rama around his bed, and he chanted the Krishna mantra. Two more of George’s close friends from the Krishna faith, Shayam Sundara and Mukunda, were there chanting quietly into their meditation beads, while George died at 1:20pm on the 29th of November, 2001».
- ^ Bhaktivedanta Manor
- ^ Acclaimed American Author Christopher Isherwood Adherents
- ^ *Actress accuses her father Times of India - April 25, 2005
- ^ Time to Mutate TIME - April 29, 1966
- ^ Defying the Hindutva canon The Hindu - January 30, 2004
- ^ Power of the mantra Trinidad Guardian - 3rd November 2004
- ^ Lady Ramanathan Passes away The Hindu - January 31, 1953
- ^ Morton, Timothy, Marilyn Butler, and James Chandler. Shelley and the Revolution in Taste : The Body and the Natural World. New York: Cambridge UP, 1995.
- ^ "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
- ^ [http://josh.tarakash.com/200906201555/Celebrity-Watch/claudia-ciesla-accepts-hinduism.html Claudia Ciesla accepts Hinduism]
- ^ Claudia Ciesla converts to Hinduism
- ^ a b Watching 'Gandhi my Father' was painful: Tushar
- ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/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
- ^ http://www.hindubooks.org/sudheer_birodkar/hindu_history/landmaratha.html
- ^ http://hero-for-modern-india.blogspot.com/
- ^ http://www.indiatime.com/category/religion/
- ^ Sarmad, the mystic poet
- ^ Hazrat Sarmad Shaheed: The Naked Sufi Martyr
- ^ Dr. Anwar Shaikh : A Great Soul, A Great Fighter for Truth - International Opinion
- ^ 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
- ^ [1]
- ^ [2]
- ^ Ram Dass - the official interactive Satsang site for author (Be Here Now) and spiritual teacher Ram Dass
- ^ Who is Acaryadeva? - Acharyadeva
- ^ Against the Modern World
- ^ Affiliation of Writer J. D. Salinger - Adherents
- ^ 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.
- ^ SPACE.com - John Dobson: Amateur Astronomy's Revolutionary
- ^ 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
- ^ http://www.exclaim.ca/articles/multiarticlesub.aspx?csid1=134&csid2=9&fid1=39566
- ^ John McLaughlin Adherents.com
- ^ Ramayana reinvented for alien times and stage Times of India - 19 Apr, 2001
- ^ The National Council of Hindu Temples (UK)
- ^ Lex Hixon.org
- ^ German daredevil grounded by court Guardian Unlimited - April 21, 2001
- ^ 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
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