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

Main article: List of converts to Hinduism from Christianity

• Nayanthara
• Julia Roberts
• E. C. George Sudarshan ^[1]
• Jeffery D. Long ^[2]

Islam

• Zubeida Begum — Indian actress ^{[3] [4]}
• Ashalata Biswas — Indian actress ^[5]
• Annapurna Devi — Indian surbahar (bass sitar) player of Hindustani classical music ^{[6] [7]}
• Harilal Gandhi — Son of Mahatma Gandhi ^{[8] [9] [10]}
• Sati Kazanova — Russian singer ^[11]
• Aashish Khan — Indian classical musician ^{[12] [13] [14]}
• Editor Mohan — Indian film editor ^[15]
• Nargis — Indian actress, politician, and social worker who converted upon marriage to actor Sunil Dutt ^{[16] [17] [18]}
• Ramasimhan — Indian film director ^{[19] [20]}
• Raskhan — Sufi poet ^[21]
• Syed Waseem Rizvi — Former member and chairman of the Shia Central Waqf Board of Uttar Pradesh ^{[22] [23]}
• Happy Salma — Indonesian actress, converted and became member of the Lordship of Ubud after marriage ^[24]
• Salabega — Odia poet ^[25]
• Anwar Shaikh — British–Pakistani writer ^[26]
• Ifa Sudewi — Indonesian chief judge for the 2002 Bali bombing trials ^[27]
• Sukmawati Sukarnoputri — Daughter of Indonesia's founding father and first president Sukarno ^{[28] [29] [30]}
• Haridas Thakura — Prominent Vaishnavite saint, instrumental in the early appearance and spread of the Gaudiya Vaishnavism movement ^{[31] [32]}
• Zubeida — Indian actress ^[33]

Judaism

• Ram Dass (born Richard Alpert) (1931–2019) – syncretist, and follower of the Hindu deity Hanuman. Professor of psychology at Harvard University. ^[34]
• Tamal Krishna Goswami (born Thomas G. Herzig) (1946–2002) – governing body commissioner of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. ^[35]
• Lora Logic (b. 1960) – punk rock saxophonist with Poly Styrene's X-Ray Spex.
• Radhanath Swami (born Richard Slavin) (b. 1950) – prominent Bhakti yoga guru and a governing body commissioner of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. ^[36]

From other Indian-origin religions

This is list of converts from Indian-origin religions.

Buddhism

• Mihirakula (r. c. 502 – c. 530) – Huna ruler. ^[37]
• Rajasinghe I (c. 1544–1593) – Sri Lankan king who conquered Kandy. ^[38]
• Rishabhadatta (1st/2nd century CE) – Satrap viceroy. ^[39]
• Rudradaman I (r. 130–150) – Satrap ruler and conqueror of the Satavahanas. ^[40]
• Vasudeva I (r. c. 191 – c. 232) – Kushan king
• Jayavarman III (r. c. 835 – c. 877)

Jainism

• Mahendravarman I (r. 600–630) – Pallava King and patron of the arts. ^[41]
• Vishnuvardhana (r. c. 1108 – c. 1152) – King of Hoysala empire and prominent temple-builder. ^[42]
• Tirunavukkarasar (c. 6th–7th century CE) – Saivite saint and one of the most prominent of the sixty-three Nayanars. ^[43]

Other

Other theist converts

• Mihirakula (r. c. 502–530) – Huna ruler. ^{[37] [ dubious – discuss ]}
• Heliodorus (c. 2nd century BCE) – Greek minister to King Bhagabhadra. ^[44]
• Pamheiba (1690–1751) – Manipuri King ^[45]
• Suhungmung (r. 1497–1539) – Ahom kingdom's ruler who extended Assam up to the Kamarupa Kingdom ^[46]
• Supangmung (r. 1663–1670) – Ahom kingdom's ruler who recaptured Guwahati. Converted to Vaishnavism. ^[47]
• Susenghphaa (r. 1603–1641) – Ahom king; during his rule the Ahom-Mughal conflicts began ^[48]

Non-theistic converts

• Annie Besant – British socialist, theosophist, women's rights activist, writer, orator, and supporter of both Irish and Indian self-rule. ^[49]
• John Dobson (former atheist who became a believer in Vedanta) – astronomer and telescope designer. ^{[50] [51]}
• Sita Ram Goel (former atheist) – Indian commentator, writer and Hindu activist. ^[52]
• Chrissie Hynde (born 7 September 1951) is an American musician. She is a founding member and the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter of the garage rock new wave band the Pretenders.
• Poly Styrene (3 July 1957 – 25 April 2011), singer with one of Britain's earliest punk rock bands, X-Ray Spex; earlier religious affiliation unknown (Poly Styrene had one Sudanese parent, possibly Muslim, and one British parent of unknown religion) .

Converts from undetermined former religion

• Agehananda Bharati (born Leopold Fischer) (1923–1991) – academic Sanskritist, a prolific author about religious subjects, and a Hindu monk in the Dasanami Sannyasi order. ^[53]
• Alain Daniélou – French historian, intellectual, musicologist, and Indologist. ^[54]
• Crispian Mills of Kula Shaker – Hare Krishna devotee. His initiated name is Krishna Kantha Dasa. He was initiated by Narayana Maharaja. He wrote a foreword to a book by Bhaktivinoda Thakur titled Sri Siksastaka. ^[55]
• Geoffrey Giuliano – American biographer. ^[56]

• Nina Hagen (follower of Haidakhan Babaji) – German singer. ^[57]
• Joe Don Looney (follower of Swami Muktananda) – football player. ^[58]
• J Mascis – lead vocalist, guitarist, and drummer for Dinosaur Jr. ^[59]
• John McLaughlin (became a disciple of Sri Chinmoy) – jazz fusion guitar player. ^[60]
• Lex Hixon (syncretist and disciple of Swami Nikhilananda) – poet, philosopher, spiritual practitioner and teacher. ^[61]
• Sati Kazanova, Russian singer. ^[62]
• Savitri Devi (born Maximiani Portas) – Greek-French writer and Nazi-sympathiser. ^[63]
• Savitri Khanolkar (born Eve Yvonne Maday de Maros) – designer of India's highest gallantry award, the Param Vir Chakra. ^[64]
• Mathias Rust – German daredevil pilot. ^[65]
• Kelli Williams – American actress who played Lindsay Dole Donnell on the ABC legal drama The Practice . ^[66]
• Sherlyn Chopra - Indian actress. ^[67]

See also

• Hinduism portal
• Religion portal

• Category:Converts to Hinduism
  • List of converts to Hinduism from Christianity
  • List of converts to Hinduism from Buddhism
• List of former Hindus
  • List of converts to Christianity from Hinduism
  • List of converts to Sikhism from Hinduism
  • List of converts to Buddhism from Hinduism

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