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
Islam
Judaism
- Robert Downey Jr. follower of Hare Krishna ideology
- Ram Dass (born Richard Alpert) – syncretist, and follower of the Hindu deity Hanuman. Professor of psychology at Harvard University[1]
- Tamal Krishna Goswami (born Thomas G. Herzig) – governing body commissioner of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness[citation needed]
- Urmila Devi Dasi (born Edith E. Manischewitz [married name: Best]) – female ISKCON educator[2][3]
- Radhanath Swami (born Richard Slavin) – Very prominent Bhakti yoga guru and a governing body commissioner of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness[4]
From other Dharmic religions
Buddhism
- Mihirakula – Huna ruler[5]
- Rajasinghe I – Sri Lankan king who conquered Kandy[6]
- Rishabhadatta – Satrap viceroy[7]
- Rudradaman I – Satrap ruler and conqueror of the Satavahanas[8]
- Vasudeva I – Kushan king and numismatist[9]
Jainism
- Mahendravarman I – Pallava King and patron of the arts.[10]
- Vishnuvardhana – King of Hoysala empire and prominent temple-builder[11]
- Tirunavukkarasar – Saivite saint and one of the most prominent of the sixty-three Nayanars[12]
Other
Other faiths and religions
- Mihirakula – Huna ruler.[13]
- Charairongba – Manipuri ruler.
- Heliodorus – Greek minister to King Bhagabhadra[14]
- Pamheiba – Manipuri King[15]
- Suhungmung – Ahom kingdom ruler who extended Assam up to the Kamarupa Kingdom[16]
- Supangmung – Ahom kingdom ruler who recaptured Guwahati. Converted to Vaishnavism after a killing to make amends[17]
- Susenghphaa – Ahom king, during his rule the Ahom-Mughal conflicts began[18]
From non-religious backgrounds
- Annie Besant (former atheist) – Theosophist, orator and feminist[19]
- John Dobson (former atheist who became a believer in Vedanta) – astronomer and telescope designer[20][21]
- Sita Ram Goel (former atheist) – Indian commentator, writer and Hindu activist[22]
- Sri Dharma Pravartaka Acharya - author, philosopher, lecturer, and guru.
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[23]
- Alain Daniélou (convert to Shaivism) – French historian, intellectual, musicologist, and Indologist[24]
- Ambarish Das (born Alfred Ford) – American businessman, great-grandson of Henry Ford, and a follower of Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (the founder of ISKCON)[25][26]
- Geoffrey Giuliano – American biographer[27]
- Savitri Devi (born Maximiani Portas) — Greek-French writer and Nazi-symphathiser
- Nina Hagen (follower of Haidakhan Babaji) – German singer[28]
- Joe Don Looney (follower of Swami Muktananda) – football player[29]
- J Mascis – Lead vocalist, guitarist, and drummer for Dinosaur Jr.[30]
- John McLaughlin (became a disciple of Sri Chinmoy) – jazz fusion guitar player[31]
- Lex Hixon (syncretist and disciple of Swami Nikhilananda) – poet, philosopher, spiritual practitioner and teacher[32]
- Savitri Khanolkar (born Eve Yvonne Maday de Maros) – Designer of India's highest gallantry award, the Param Vir Chakra
- Crispian Mills – English rock singer named Krishna Kantha dasa. He wrote a foreword to a book by Bhaktivinoda Thakur titled Sri Siksastaka.[33]
- Mathias Rust – German daredevil pilot[34]
- J. D. Salinger – American author best known for The Catcher in the Rye
- Kelli Williams – American actress who played Lindsay Dole Donnell on the ABC legal drama The Practice.[35]
See also
- List of converts to Buddhism
- List of converts to Christianity
- List of converts to Islam
- List of converts to Judaism
- List of converts to Sikhism
- List of people by belief
References
- ^ Ram Dass – the official interactive Satsang site for author (Be Here Now) and spiritual teacher Ram Dass
- ^ U – Srila Prabhupada Disciple Database
- ^ iskcon.com – ISKCON Communications Journal – ICJ
- ^ [1]
- ^ 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 81-206-0648-5.
{{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters:|coauthors=and|month=(help) - ^ 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
- ^ Thakur, Upendra. The Hunas in India. The Chowkhamba Senskrit, Banaras, 1967.
- ^ 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 81-7034-062-4
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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 The New York Times, 9 November 1981
- ^ Alfred Ford: The billionaire bhakt The Times of India, 6 March 2005
- ^ "Former Ronald McDonald Turns Vegetarian Activist". Hinduism Today. March 1991. Retrieved 6 February 2007.
- ^ Nina Hagen official website
- ^ Dozier 152
- ^ exclaim.ca
- ^ John McLaughlin Adherents.com
- ^ Lex Hixon.org
- ^ Bhaktivinoda Thakura (1997) Sri Siksastaka, ISBN 81-86737-06-5. Retrieved 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
- ^ German daredevil grounded by court The Guardian, 21 April 2001
- ^ Kelli Williams Quotes and Trivia at MovieTome