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
- Ambarish Das (born Alfred Ford) – American businessman, great-grandson of Henry Ford, and a follower of Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (the founder of ISKCON)[1][2]
- [3]Lekhasravanti
- Devi Dasi (born Elisabeth Luise Reuther Dickmeyer) – daughter of labor leader Walter Reuther[4]
- Islam
Judaism
- Ram Dass (born Richard Alpert) – syncretist, and follower of the Hindu deity Hanuman. Professor of psychology at Harvard University[5]
- 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[6][7]
- Radhanath Swami (born Richard Slavin) – Very prominent Bhakti yoga guru and a governing body commissioner of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness[8]
From other Dharmic religions
Buddhism
- Mihirakula – Huna ruler[9]
- Rajasinghe I – Sri Lankan king who conquered Kandy[10]
- Rishabhadatta – Satrap viceroy[11]
- Rudradaman I – Satrap ruler and conqueror of the Satavahanas[12]
- Vasudeva I – Kushan king and numismatist[13]
Jainism
- Mahendravarman I – Pallava King and patron of the arts.[14]
- Vishnuvardhana – King of Hoysala empire and prominent temple-builder[15]
- Tirunavukkarasar – Saivite saint and one of the most prominent of the sixty-three Nayanars[16]
Other
Other theistic faiths and religions
- Mihirakula – Huna ruler[17]
- Charairongba – Manipuri ruler
- Heliodorus – Greek minister to King Bhagabhadra[18]
- Pamheiba – Manipuri King[19]
- Suhungmung – Ahom kingdom ruler who extended Assam up to the Kamarupa Kingdom[20]
- Supangmung – Ahom kingdom ruler who recaptured Guwahati. Converted to Vaishnavism after a killing to make amends[21]
- Susenghphaa – Ahom king, during his rule the Ahom-Mughal conflicts began[22]
From non-theistic religious backgrounds
- [23]
- John Dobson (former atheist who became a believer in Vedanta) – astronomer and telescope designer[24][25]
- Sita Ram Goel (former atheist) – Indian commentator, writer and Hindu activist[26]
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[27]
- Alain Daniélou (convert to Shaivism) – French historian, intellectual, musicologist, and Indologist[28]
- Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders is a Hare Krishna devotee. Her initiated name is Krishna Mayi. She mentions it in her song Boots of Chinese Plastic. She was initiated by Narayana Maharaja, the same guru as Crispian Mills. She played on Crispian's record helping to finance a school for their guru's organization, School of Braja.
- Crispian Mills of Kula Shaker is a Hare Krishna devotee. His initiated name is Krishna Kantha Dasa. He was initiated by Narayana Maharaja, the same guru as Chrissie Hynde. He wrote a foreword to a book by Bhaktivinoda Thakur titled Sri Siksastaka.[29]
- Geoffrey Giuliano – American biographer[30]
- Nina Hagen (follower of Haidakhan Babaji) – German singer[31]
- Joe Don Looney (follower of Swami Muktananda) – football player[32]
- J Mascis – lead vocalist, guitarist, and drummer for Dinosaur Jr.[33]
- John McLaughlin (became a disciple of Sri Chinmoy) – jazz fusion guitar player[34]
- Lex Hixon (syncretist and disciple of Swami Nikhilananda) – poet, philosopher, spiritual practitioner and teacher[35]
- Savitri Devi (born Maximiani Portas) – Greek-French writer and Nazi-symphathiser
- Savitri Khanolkar (born Eve Yvonne Maday de Maros) – designer of India's highest gallantry award, the Param Vir Chakra
- Mathias Rust – German daredevil pilot[36]
- 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.[37]
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
- ^ 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
- ^ http://www.ibtl.in/news/bhakti/1595/celebrities-who-accepted-hinduism--believes-hinduism-is-a-way-of-life/
- ^ FORD AND REUTHER KIN REVIVE OLD DETROIT MANSION FOR SECT
- ^ 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.
- ^ Sheram, AK (2012). "Manipuri, The". In Islam, Sirajul; Jamal, Ahmed A. (eds.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
- ^ 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
- ^ Bhaktivinoda Thakura (1997) Sri Siksastaka, ISBN 81-86737-06-5. Retrieved 1 June 2008. "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
- ^ "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
- ^ German daredevil grounded by court The Guardian, 21 April 2001
- ^ Kelli Williams Quotes and Trivia at MovieTome