List of converts to Hinduism
Encyclopedia
Religious conversion
Religious conversion is the adoption of a new religion that differs from the convert's previous religion. Changing from one denomination to another within the same religion is usually described as reaffiliation rather than conversion.People convert to a different religion for various reasons,...
to Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
from other religions or a non-religious background.
Christianity
- Chantal BoulangerChantal BoulangerChantal Boulanger-Maloney was an anthropologist who wrote widely on South India and Tamil culture, including on the myriad of ways to wrap a Sari, documenting over 100.-References:...
- French anthropologist who wrote widely on Tamil cultureTamil peopleTamil people , also called Tamils or Tamilians, are an ethnic group native to Tamil Nadu, India and the north-eastern region of Sri Lanka. Historic and post 15th century emigrant communities are also found across the world, notably Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, South Africa, Australia, Canada,...
. - Claudia CieslaClaudia CieslaClaudia Ciesla is a German model, actress, and singer of Polish descent.-Early life:Born in Wodzisław Śląski, Poland, she grew up in Buków, part of Silesia, five miles from the Czech border...
- German model, actress, and singer embraced Hinduism and believes in Karma. - Job CharnockJob CharnockJob Charnock was a servant and administrator of the English East India Company, traditionally regarded as the founder of the city of Calcutta.-Early life and career:...
- British trade agent who has been controversially described as the founder of Calcutta - Ilan ChesterIlan ChesterIlan Chester is a celebrated Venezuelan singer, keyboardist, arranger and composer. Born in Israel in 1952, of European parents, Ilan emigrated to Venezuela in 1953.- Biography :...
- Venezuelan singer, keyboardist, arranger and composer - Alice ColtraneAlice ColtraneAlice Coltrane, née McLeod was an American jazz pianist, organist, harpist, and composer.-Biography:...
(raised BaptistBaptistBaptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
but became a follower of Satya Sai Baba) - American jazz pianist, organist, harpist, and composer - Michael CremoMichael CremoMichael A. Cremo , also known as Drutakarma Dasa, is an American Hindu creationist whose work argues that modern humans have lived on the earth for billions of years...
- American creationist, author, and editor - Bhagavan Das (born Kermit Michael Riggs) - Western YogiYogiA Yogi is a practitioner of Yoga. The word is also used to refer to ascetic practitioners of meditation in a number of South Asian Religions including Jainism, Buddhism, and Hinduism.-Etymology:...
and former born again Christian - Roy Eugene DavisRoy Eugene DavisRoy Eugene Davis is an American spiritual teacher and author who "established the Georgia-based Center for Spiritual Awareness in 1972". Previously he had founded New Life World Wide Inc. In 1967 he began publishing Truth Journal Magazine which has now been in continuous publication for 44 years....
- American Kriya YogaKriya YogaKriya Yoga finds mention in the ancient spiritual texts of Patanjali Yogasutras "Tapah svadhyayeshvara pranidhani kriyayogah" . It was later revived by Yogiraj Sri Shyamacharan Lahiri in the 19th century. Subsequently Paramhansa Yogananda in his Autobiography of a Yogi reported the same for his...
teacher - Krishna DharmaKrishna DharmaKrishna Dharma is a British Hindu scholar and author.Krishna Dharma is "the author of the world's most popular editions of India's great epics": the Ramayana: India's Immortal Tale of Adventure, Love, and Wisdom and the Mahabharata: The Greatest Spiritual Epic of All Time...
- British author and convert to Gaudiya Vaishnavism under ISKCON - David FrawleyDavid FrawleyDavid Frawley is an American Hindu author, publishing on topics such as Hinduism, Yoga and Ayurveda. He is the founder and director of the American Institute for Vedic Studies in Santa Fe, New Mexico, which offers courses on Yoga philosophy, Ayurveda, and Hindu astrology...
- author on Hinduism, Yoga and AyurvedaAyurvedaAyurveda or ayurvedic medicine is a system of traditional medicine native to India and a form of alternative medicine. In Sanskrit, words , meaning "longevity", and , meaning "knowledge" or "science". The earliest literature on Indian medical practice appeared during the Vedic period in India,... - Elizabeth GilbertElizabeth GilbertElizabeth M. Gilbert is an American author, essayist, short story writer, biographer, novelist and memoirist. She is best known for her 2006 memoirs, Eat, Pray, Love, which as of December 2010, has spent 199 weeks on the New York Times Best Seller list, and was also made into a film by the same...
- author of Eat Pray Love - George HarrisonGeorge HarrisonGeorge Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
- popular EnglishEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
musicianMusicianA musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, best known as a member of The BeatlesThe BeatlesThe Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
who died chanting the Hare Krishna Mahamantra in the company of monks from ISKCON. He is also known for donating Bhaktivedanta ManorBhaktivedanta ManorBhaktivedanta Manor is a Gaudiya Vaishnava temple set in the Hertfordshire countryside of England in the village of Aldenham near Watford. The Manor, as it is called by those familiar with it, is owned and run by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, better known as ISKCON or the...
, a Hindu temple to the Hare Krishna community in BritainUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. - Lawrence RaghavendraLawrence RaghavendraRaghav Murugaiyan is an Indian choreographer who has also appeared in films as an actor, director, composer and playback singer. After making his first few appearances in supporting actor roles, he got his breakthrough with Style and then Muni...
- Tamil & Telugu choreographer,film actor, director, composer and philanthropist. - Christopher IsherwoodChristopher IsherwoodChristopher William Bradshaw Isherwood was an English-American novelist.-Early life and work:Born at Wyberslegh Hall, High Lane, Cheshire in North West England, Isherwood spent his childhood in various towns where his father, a Lieutenant-Colonel in the British Army, was stationed...
- Anglo-American novelist - JomolJomolGowri Chandrasekhara Pillai is an Indian actress who appeared in Malayalam films. She has had major roles in films like Niram, Piriyadha Varam Vendum and Deepasthambham Mahascharyam.She born in Koodathayi near Thiruvambady in Calicut district...
- Malayali actress - Lizy (actress)Lizy (actress)Lissy Priyadarshan is a popular South Indian film actress of 1980s. She is popularly known by the mononym Lissy. Though, was a leading heroine in Malayalam, she had also acted in several Tamil and Telugu. She gave up acting after her marriage with famous film director Priyadarshan in 1990...
- (born Aliyamma Malayalam of Elizabeth adopted the name Lakshmi) Malayalam Actress - Swami KriyanandaSwami KriyanandaSwami Kriyananda , born J. Donald Walters , is a direct disciple of the yogi Paramhansa Yogananda and founder of Ananda, a worldwide movement of spiritual intentional communities based on Yogananda's World Brotherhood Colonies ideal...
(born J. Donald Walters) - direct disciple of the yogi Paramahansa YoganandaParamahansa YoganandaParamahansa Yogananda , born Mukunda Lal Ghosh , was an Indian yogi and guru who introduced many westerners to the teachings of meditation and Kriya Yoga through his book, Autobiography of a... - Timothy LearyTimothy LearyTimothy Francis Leary was an American psychologist and writer, known for his advocacy of psychedelic drugs. During a time when drugs like LSD and psilocybin were legal, Leary conducted experiments at Harvard University under the Harvard Psilocybin Project, resulting in the Concord Prison...
- Harvard professor and American writerWriterA writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
and psychologistPsychologistPsychologist is a professional or academic title used by individuals who are either:* Clinical professionals who work with patients in a variety of therapeutic contexts .* Scientists conducting psychological research or teaching psychology in a college... - Satsvarupa Dasa GoswamiSatsvarupa dasa GoswamiSatsvarupa das Goswami is a senior disciple of A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who founded the International Society for Krishna Consciousness , better known in the West as the Hare Krishna movement...
- one of the eleven senior Americans selectedGuru-shishya traditionThe guru-shishya tradition, lineage, or parampara, denotes a succession of teachers and disciples in traditional Indian culture and religions such as Hinduism, Sikhism, Jainism and Buddhism. It is the tradition of spiritual relationship and mentoring where teachings are transmitted from a guru...
to become an initiating guruISKCON Guru SystemISKCON guru is permitted to initiate disciples in the system that is being used in International Society for Krishna Consciousness; this ISKCON Guru System has undergone a considerable evolution and reform since its beginnings in 1970s...
in ISKCON. - Savitri Devi MukherjiSavitri Devi MukherjiSavitri Devi Mukherji was the pseudonym of the Greek writer Maximiani Portas, who was a Nazi intelligence operative in India during World War II...
(born Maximiani Portas) - FrenchFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
woman who became enamoured with HinduismHinduismHinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
and NazismNazismNazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
, trying to synthesise Hinduism with Nazi philosophy and racial ideology - Sister NiveditaSister Nivedita- A benediction to Sister Nivedita by Swami Vivekananda Sister Nivedita ; ; , born as Margaret Elizabeth Noble, was a Scots-Irish social worker, author, teacher and disciple of Swami Vivekananda. She met Vivekananda in 1895 in London and travelled to Calcutta, India in 1898...
(born Margaret Elizabeth Noble) - Anglo-Irish social worker, author, and teacher - Leelawathy RamanathanLeelawathy RamanathanLeelawathy Ramanathan was the Australia-born wife of Ponnambalam Ramanathan.-Hinduism:She studied Hindu scriptures, and converted to Hinduism upon marrying Ponnambalam Ramanathan in 1906. She wrote many Hindu books, including a version of the Ramayana in English. She also published many of...
- AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
-born Hindu writer and activist. Converted upon marrying Ponnambalam RamanathanPonnambalam RamanathanSir Ponnambalam Ramanathan, KCMG, KC was a Solicitor-General and Tamil political leader in Sri Lanka.-Early life:... - John LevyJohn Levy (philosopher)John Levy was a British mystic, artist, and musician, best known for translating the works of his guru Sri Atmananda Krishna Menon, Atma Darshan and Atma Niviriti into English.-Personal life:...
- British philosopher who translated books on Advaita VedantaAdvaita VedantaAdvaita Vedanta is considered to be the most influential and most dominant sub-school of the Vedānta school of Hindu philosophy. Other major sub-schools of Vedānta are Dvaita and ; while the minor ones include Suddhadvaita, Dvaitadvaita and Achintya Bhedabheda... - Annie (actress) - (born Annie Jobbie adopted the name Chitra) Malayalam Actress
- Joseph RitsonJoseph RitsonJoseph Ritson was an English antiquary.He was born at Stockton-on-Tees, of a Westmorland yeoman family. He was educated for the law, and settled in London as a conveyancer at the age of twenty-two. He devoted his spare time to literature, and in 1782 published an attack on Thomas Warton's History...
- English antiquarianAntiquarianAn antiquarian or antiquary is an aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient objects of art or science, archaeological and historic sites, or historic archives and manuscripts...
and traveller - Julia RobertsJulia RobertsJulia Fiona Roberts is an American actress. She became a Hollywood star after headlining the romantic comedy Pretty Woman , which grossed $464 million worldwide...
- American Actress. - Han SnelHan SnelHan Snel was a famous Dutch painter born in Scheveningen, who moved to Indonesia in the 1940s to paint the island of Bali. Snel converted to Hinduism and became a citizen of Indonesia.-References:...
- Dutch painter of BaliBaliBali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east... - Satyananda StokesSatyananda StokesSatyananda Stokes was an American who moved to India and adopted it as his own country. Stokes' given name was Samuel Evans Stokes, Jr., and belonging to a prominent family and was the son of a successful businessman who pioneered elevators in America he came to India in 1904 to work at a leper...
- Famous English farmer in Himachal PradeshHimachal PradeshHimachal Pradesh is a state in Northern India. It is spread over , and is bordered by the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir on the north, Punjab on the west and south-west, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on the south, Uttarakhand on the south-east and by the Tibet Autonomous Region on the east... - Bhakti Tirtha SwamiBhakti Tirtha SwamiBhakti Tirtha Swami , also known as Swami Krishnapada, was a leading guru and governing body commissioner of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness . He was the highest-ranking African American in ISKCON...
(born John E. Favors) - American Hindu leader and disciple of Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada - Romapada SwamiRomapada Swami- External links :* * * * *...
- Preacher of ISKCON. - Kenneth R. ValpeyKenneth R. ValpeyKenneth R. Valpey is a Gaudiya Vaishnava Theologian who studied at Oxford University, St Cross College . While there, he conducted his research at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies. He has a D.Phil. from Oxford University, where his dissertation was on Chaitanya Vaishnava murti-seva...
- Gaudiya Vaishnava Theologian who studied at Oxford University, St. Cross College - Shaunaka Rishi DasShaunaka Rishi DasShaunaka Rishi Das is the Director of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies , a position he has held since the Centre's foundation in 1997. He is a Hindu cleric, a lecturer, a broadcaster, and Hindu Chaplain to Oxford University...
(born Timothy Kiernan) - Director of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies - NayantaraNayantaraNayantara , is an Indian film actress. She made her acting debut in 2003 in the Malayalam film Manassinakkare. She debuted in Tamil cinema with Ayya and in Telugu cinema with Lakshmi , following which she starred alongside popular lead actors...
(born Diana Mariam Kurian) - South Indian Actress, model
Islam
- Bukka I - King of Vijayanagara empireVijayanagara EmpireThe Vijayanagara Empire , referred as the Kingdom of Bisnaga by the Portuguese, was an empire based in South Indian in the Deccan Plateau region. It was established in 1336 by Harihara I and his brother Bukka Raya I of the Yadava lineage. The empire rose to prominence as a culmination of attempts...
who converted to Islam, then reconverted. The early life of Bukka as well as his brother Hakka (also known as Harihara IHarihara IHarihara I , also called Hakka ಹಕ್ಕ and Vira Harihara I, was the founder of the Vijayanagara empire. He was Bhavana Sangama’s eldest son, belonged to the Kuruba clan and was founder of the Sangama dynasty, the first among the four dynasties that ruled Vijayanagara...
) are relatively unknown and most accounts of their early life are based on theories. - NargisNargisNargis Dutt , born Fatima Rashid but known by her screen name, Nargis, was an Indian film actress. She is widely regarded as one of the greatest actresses in the history of Hindi cinema. She made her screen debut as a child in Talash-E-Haq in 1935, but her acting carer began in 1942 with Tamanna...
- noted BollywoodBollywoodBollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
actress, politician, and social worker. Mother of actor Sanjay DuttSanjay DuttSanjay Dutt is an Indian Hindi film actor and politician. Dutt, son of Hindi film actors Sunil and Nargis Dutt, made his acting debut in 1981.-Personal life:...
she converted to Hinduism and took the name of Nirmala Dutt on her marriage to actor Sunil DuttSunil DuttSunil Dutt , born Sunil Balraj Dutt, was an Indian Hindi movie actor , producer, director and politician. He was the cabinet minister for Youth Affairs and Sports in the Manmohan Singh government... - Annapurna Devi (born Roshanara Khan) - surbaharSurbaharSurbahar , sometimes known as bass sitar, is a plucked string instrument used in the Hindustani classical music of North India. It is closely related to sitar, but it has a lower tone. Depending on the instrument's size, it is usually pitched two to five whole steps below the standard sitar, but...
(bass sitar) player and music teacher in the North Indian classical tradition. She converted to Hinduism upon marriage. - Harilal Mohandas GandhiHarilal GandhiHarilal Mohandas Gandhi , was the first son of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi.-Early life:Harilal wanted to go to England for higher studies and hoped to become a barrister as his father had once been...
- son of Mahatma GandhiMahatma GandhiMohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
. Upon converting to Islam he adopted the name Abdullah Gandhi, but later again reverted back to Hinduism. - Asha GawliAsha GawliAsha Gawli is the wife of Arun Gawli, member of the Legislative Assembly for Maharashtra. Asha Gawli was a Muslim with the name Ayesha before she got married to Arun Gawli. She was investigated in 1998 for the murder of a man connected with her husband, a former underworld figure...
- (born Ayesha) Wife of Arun GawliArun GawliArun Gulab Gawli , known to his followers as "Daddy", is an alleged criminal turned politician from Mumbai, India. He is based at Dagdi Chawl in Byculla- Saat Rasta, Mumbai...
, notorious gangster turned politician from MumbaiMumbaiMumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
, IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. She converted to Hinduism upon marriage. - Harihara IHarihara IHarihara I , also called Hakka ಹಕ್ಕ and Vira Harihara I, was the founder of the Vijayanagara empire. He was Bhavana Sangama’s eldest son, belonged to the Kuruba clan and was founder of the Sangama dynasty, the first among the four dynasties that ruled Vijayanagara...
- King of Vijayanagara EmpireVijayanagara EmpireThe Vijayanagara Empire , referred as the Kingdom of Bisnaga by the Portuguese, was an empire based in South Indian in the Deccan Plateau region. It was established in 1336 by Harihara I and his brother Bukka Raya I of the Yadava lineage. The empire rose to prominence as a culmination of attempts...
who converted to Islam, then reconverted - Aashish KhanAashish KhanAashish Khan Debsharma is an eminent Indian classical musician, known for his virtuosity on the Sarod. He was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2006 in the 'Best World Music' category for his album "Golden Strings of the Sarode"...
(born Ustad Aashish Khan Debsharma) - Indian musician - Hassan PalakkodeHassan PalakkodePalakkode K. Hassan also known as Kamal Hassan and Hassan Palakkode is a Malayali writer from Kerala who converted to Hinduism. He has been a contributor to many religious periodicals in India....
- Malayali writer on IslamIslamIslam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~... - Netaji PalkarNetaji PalkarNetaji Palkar was the second Sarnaubat in the army of Shivaji, the founder of the Maratha empire in western India.-Family history:...
- MarathaMarathaThe Maratha are an Indian caste, predominantly in the state of Maharashtra. The term Marāthā has three related usages: within the Marathi speaking region it describes the dominant Maratha caste; outside Maharashtra it can refer to the entire regional population of Marathi-speaking people;...
noble and commander-in-chief of the army of Shivaji, 19 June 1676. - SarmadSarmadMuhammad Sa'id, mostly known as Sarmad Kashani or simply as Sarmad was a Persian mystic, poet and saint who travelled to and made the Indian subcontinent his permanent home during the 17th century...
- 17th century mystical poet and sufi saint, arrived from Persia to IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, beheaded for assumed heresy by the MughalMughal EmpireThe Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
emperor, Aurungzebe. Sarmad renounced Judaism, briefly converting to Islam and then Hinduism. He later denounced all religions and rejected belief in god. - Anwar ShaikhAnwar ShaikhMohammad Anwar Shaikh was a Punjabi-born Pakistani author residing in Cardiff. He was born into an Islamic Sunni family of Kashmiri ancestry in Gujrat, Punjab. His mother could recite a large part of the Qur'an from memory...
- BritishUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
authorAuthorAn author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
. - Ifa SudewiIfa SudewiIfa Sudewi is the first female judge to be appointed to the 2002 Bali bombings trials. She was educated in Solo, Java in indonesia. She became a judge in 1990. She is a former Muslim, converting to Hinduism in later life.-References:...
- Chief judge for the 2002 Bali bombing2002 Bali bombingThe 2002 Bali bombings occurred on 12 October 2002 in the tourist district of Kuta on the Indonesian island of Bali. The attack was claimed as the deadliest act of terrorism in the history of Indonesia according to the current police general, killing 202 people,...
trials - Khushboo Sundar - Tamil movie actress. She converted to Hinduism upon marriage.
- Haridas Thakura - Prominent Vaishnavite saint, instrumental in the early appearance and spread of Hare KrishnaInternational Society for Krishna ConsciousnessThe International Society for Krishna Consciousness , known colloquially as the Hare Krishna movement, is a Gaudiya Vaishnava religious organization. It was founded in 1966 in New York City by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada...
movement. - ZubeidaZubeidaZubeida Begum Dhanrajgir was an Indian film actress. She acted in the first Indian talkie movie Alam Ara . Her credits include early hits Devdas , and Sagar Movietone's first talkie, Meri Jaan....
- Hindi film actress, on whose life story the film ZubeidaaZubeidaaZubeidaa is a 2001 Indian film directed by Shyam Benegal and written by Khalid Mohammed. It stars Karisma Kapoor, Rekha, Manoj Bajpai, Surekha Sikri, Rajit Kapoor, Lillete Dubey, Amrish Puri, Farida Jalal, and Shakti Kapoor...
was based. She converted to Hinduism upon marriage. - 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.
- Sonam (born Bakhtawar Murad) - Wife of Bollywood director Rajiv RaiRajiv RaiRajiv Rai is an Indian film writer, editor and director. He is the son of the late producer Gulshan Rai. He has directed all this films under his father's production company Trimurti Films...
. She converted to Hinduism upon marriage. She is the niece of character actor Raza MuradRaza MuradRaza Murad is an Indian actor working primarily in Hindi films. He has acted in over 200 Bollywood films.He is the son of renowned Bollywood character actor Murad. He is also the first cousin of Zeenat Aman, his uncle being Amanullah Khan, writer of Mughal-e-Azam and Pakeezah. His niece Sonam was...
and granddaughter of veteran character actor MuradMurad (actor)Murad was an Indian character actor who appeared more than 100 Bollywood films from the early 1940s through to the end of the 1980s playing character roles ranging from a father, uncle, police officer, courtroom judge or an emperor. His son Raza Murad is also an actor in the Bollywood industry who...
. She is the cousin of actress Sanober Kabir. - Fatima Ghadially (wife of ajith agarkar) - converted to Hinduism after marriage
Judaism
- Ram DassRam DassRam Dass is an American contemporary spiritual teacher and the author of the seminal 1971 book Be Here Now. He is known for his personal and professional associations with Timothy Leary at Harvard University in the early 1960s, for his travels to India and his relationship with the Hindu guru Neem...
(born Richard Alpert) - syncretist, and follower of the Hindu deity HanumanHanumanHanuman , is a Hindu deity, who is an ardent devotee of Rama, a central character in the Indian epic Ramayana and one of the dearest devotees of lord Rama. A general among the vanaras, an ape-like race of forest-dwellers, Hanuman is an incarnation of the divine and a disciple of Lord Rama in the...
. Professor of psychologyPsychologyPsychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
at Harvard UniversityHarvard UniversityHarvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country... - Tamal Krishna Goswami (born Thomas G. Herzig) - governing body commissioner of the International Society for Krishna ConsciousnessInternational Society for Krishna ConsciousnessThe International Society for Krishna Consciousness , known colloquially as the Hare Krishna movement, is a Gaudiya Vaishnava religious organization. It was founded in 1966 in New York City by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada...
Buddhism
- MihirakulaMihirakulaMihirakula was the most important Sveta Huna ruler in India. He was the son of Toramana, the founder of Huna power in India. He ruled his horde from 502 to 530 ....
- HunaHunaFor other uses, see HunaHuna is a Hawaiian word adopted by Max Freedom Long in 1936 to describe his theory of metaphysics which he linked to ancient Hawaiian kahuna...
ruler. - Rajasinghe IRajasinghe IRajasinghe I, was a king of Sri Lanka who ruled the Kingdom of Sitawaka from 1581 to 1593. He known for his bravery. Born as Tikiri Banda to King Mayadunne of the Kingdom of Sitawaka, the name "Rajasinha" was given to him after a battle against Portuguese forces...
- Sri Lankan king who conquered KandyKandyKandy is a city in the center of Sri Lanka. It was the last capital of the ancient kings' era of Sri Lanka. The city lies in the midst of hills in the Kandy plateau, which crosses an area of tropical plantations, mainly tea. Kandy is one of the most scenic cities in Sri Lanka; it is both an... - RishabhadattaRishabhadattaRishabhadatta was viceroy of the Western Satrap ruler Nahapana, and his son-in-law.Ancient inscriptions were incised in the Pandu-lena caves near Nasik describing how Rishabhadatta was son of Dinika and had married Dakshamitra, daughter of Nahapana. According to the inscriptions, Ushavadata...
- SatrapWestern KshatrapasThe Western Satraps, Western Kshatrapas, or Kshaharatas were Saka rulers of the western and central part of India...
viceroy - Rudradaman IRudradaman IRudradaman I was a Saka ruler from the Western Kshatrapas dynasty. He was the grandson of the celebrated Sah king Chastana. Rudradaman I was instrumental in the decline of the Satavahana Empire.- Mahakshatrapa :...
- SatrapWestern KshatrapasThe Western Satraps, Western Kshatrapas, or Kshaharatas were Saka rulers of the western and central part of India...
ruler and conqueror of the Satavahanas - Vasudeva IVasudeva IVasudeva I was a Kushan emperor, last of the "Great Kushans." Named inscriptions dating from year 64 to 98 of Kanishka's era suggest his reign extended from at least 191 to 225 CE....
- Kushan king and numismatist
Jainism
- Mahendravarman IMahendravarman IMahendravarman I was a Pallava king who ruled the Northern regions of what forms present-day Tamil Nadu in India in the early 7th century. He was the son of Simhavishnu, who defeated the Kalabhras and re-established the Pallava kingdom....
- PallavaPallavaThe Pallava dynasty was a Tamil dynasty which ruled the northern Tamil Nadu region and the southern Andhra Pradesh region with their capital at Kanchipuram...
King and patron of the arts. - VishnuvardhanaVishnuvardhanaVishnuvardhana was an emperor of the Hoysala Empire in present day Indian state of Karnataka. Vishnuvardhana took the first step in consolidating the Hoysala Empire in South India through a series of battles against his overlords, the Western Chalukya empire...
- King of Hoysala empireHoysala EmpireThe Hoysala Empire was a prominent South Indian Kannadiga empire that ruled most of the modern day state of Karnataka between the 10th and the 14th centuries. The capital of the Hoysalas was initially located at Belur but was later moved to Halebidu....
and prominent temple-builder - Tirunavukkarasar - SaiviteShaivismShaivism is one of the four major sects of Hinduism, the others being Vaishnavism, Shaktism and Smartism. Followers of Shaivism, called "Shaivas," and also "Saivas" or "Saivites," revere Shiva as the Supreme Being. Shaivas believe that Shiva is All and in all, the creator, preserver, destroyer,...
saint and one of the most prominent of the sixty-three NayanarsNayanarsThe Nayanars or Nayanmars were Shaivite devotional poets of Tamil Nadu, active between the fifth and the tenth centuries CE...
Other faiths and religions
- Charairongba - ManipurManipurManipur is a state in northeastern India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. Manipur is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west; it also borders Burma to the east. It covers an area of...
i ruler. - HeliodorusHeliodorus (minister)Heliodorus was a minister of Seleucus IV Philopator ca. [187 BC - 175 BC]. According to some sources he is said to have assassinated Seleucus.-Biblical background:...
- Greek minister to King BhagabhadraBhagabhadraBhagabhadra was one of the kings of the Indian Sunga dynasty. He ruled in north, central, and eastern India around 110 BCE. Although the capital of the Sungas was at Pataliputra, he was also known to have held court at Vidisha.... - PamheibaPamheibaMeidingu Pamheiba was an emperor in Manipur in the early 18th century. After conversion to Hinduism, he made it the official religion of Manipur in 1717...
- ManipurManipurManipur is a state in northeastern India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. Manipur is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west; it also borders Burma to the east. It covers an area of...
i King - SuhungmungSuhungmungSuhungmung , was one of the most important Ahom kings, who ruled at the cusp of Assam's medieval history. His reign broke from the early Ahom rule and established a multi-ethnic polity in his kingdom. Under him the Ahom Kingdom expanded greatly for the first time since Sukaphaa, at the cost of...
- Ahom kingdomAhom kingdomThe Ahom Kingdom was a medieval kingdom in the Brahmaputra valley in Assam that maintained its sovereignty for nearly 600 years and successfully resisted Mughal expansion in North-East India...
ruler who extended Assam up to the Kamarupa Kingdom - SupangmungSupangmungSupangmung , also known as Chakradhwaj Singha, was an important Ahom king under whom the Ahom kingdom took back Guwahati from the Mughals following the reverses at the hands of Mir Jumla and the Treaty of Ghilajharighat...
- Ahom kingdomAhom kingdomThe Ahom Kingdom was a medieval kingdom in the Brahmaputra valley in Assam that maintained its sovereignty for nearly 600 years and successfully resisted Mughal expansion in North-East India...
ruler who recaptured GuwahatiGuwahatiGuwahati, Pragjyotishpura in ancient Assam formerly known as Gauhati is a metropolis,the largest city of Assam in India and ancient urban area in North East India, with a population of 963,429. It is also the largest metropolitan area in north-eastern India...
. Converted to VaishnavismVaishnavismVaishnavism is a tradition of Hinduism, distinguished from other schools by its worship of Vishnu, or his associated Avatars such as Rama and Krishna, as the original and supreme God....
after a killing to make amends - SusenghphaaSusenghphaaSusenghphaa , also Pratap Singha, was the 17th and one of the most prominent kings of the Ahom kingdom. As he was advanced in years when he became king, he is also called the Burha Raja...
- Ahom kingAhom kingdomThe Ahom Kingdom was a medieval kingdom in the Brahmaputra valley in Assam that maintained its sovereignty for nearly 600 years and successfully resisted Mughal expansion in North-East India...
, during his rule the Ahom-Mughal conflictsAhom-Mughal conflictsAhom–Mughal conflicts refer to the period between the first Mughal attack on the Ahom kingdom in 1615 and the final Battle of Itakhuli in 1682. The intervening period saw the fluctuating fortunes of both powers and the end of the rule of Koch Hajo...
began
From non-religious backgrounds
- Annie BesantAnnie BesantAnnie Besant was a prominent British Theosophist, women's rights activist, writer and orator and supporter of Irish and Indian self rule.She was married at 19 to Frank Besant but separated from him over religious differences. She then became a prominent speaker for the National Secular Society ...
(former atheist) - TheosophistTheosophyTheosophy, in its modern presentation, is a spiritual philosophy developed since the late 19th century. Its major themes were originally described mainly by Helena Blavatsky , co-founder of the Theosophical Society...
, orator and feminist - John DobsonJohn Dobson (astronomer)John Lowry Dobson is a popularizer of amateur astronomy. He is most notable for being the promoter of a design for large, portable, low-cost Newtonian reflecting telescopes that bears his name, the Dobsonian telescope. The design is considered revolutionary since it allowed amateur astronomers to...
(former atheist who became a believer in VedantaVedantaVedānta was originally a word used in Hindu philosophy as a synonym for that part of the Veda texts known also as the Upanishads. The name is a morphophonological form of Veda-anta = "Veda-end" = "the appendix to the Vedic hymns." It is also speculated that "Vedānta" means "the purpose or goal...
) - astronomer and telescope designer - Sita Ram GoelSita Ram GoelSita Ram Goel , writer and publisher in late twentieth century. He had Marxist leanings during the 1940s, but later became an outspoken anti-communist that also spoke negatively about Islam and Christianity...
(former atheist) - IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n commentator, writerWriterA writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
and HinduHinduHindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
activist
Undetermined former religion
- Russell BrandRussell BrandRussell Edward Brand is an English comedian, actor, columnist, singer, author and radio/television presenter.Brand achieved mainstream fame in the UK in 2004 for his role as host of Big Brother spin-off, Big Brother's Big Mouth. His first major film role was in the 2007 film St Trinians...
-ActorActorAn actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
,husband of Katy PerryKaty PerryKaty Perry is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Born in Santa Barbara, California, and raised by Christian pastor parents, Perry grew up listening to only gospel music and sang in her local church as a child. After earning a GED during her first year of high school, she began to pursue a... - Agehananda BharatiAgehananda BharatiAgehananda Bharati was the monastic name of Leopold Fischer, professor of Anthropology at Syracuse University for over 30 years...
(born Leopold Fischer) - academic SanskritSanskritSanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
ist, a prolific author about religious subjects, and a HinduHinduHindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
monkMonkA monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
in the Dasanami Sannyasi order - Alain DaniélouAlain DaniélouAlain Daniélou was a French historian, intellectual, musicologist, Indologist, and a noted Western convert to and expert on Shaivite Hinduism.-Life:...
(convert to ShaivismShaivismShaivism is one of the four major sects of Hinduism, the others being Vaishnavism, Shaktism and Smartism. Followers of Shaivism, called "Shaivas," and also "Saivas" or "Saivites," revere Shiva as the Supreme Being. Shaivas believe that Shiva is All and in all, the creator, preserver, destroyer,...
) - FrenchFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
historianHistorianA historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
, intellectualIntellectualAn intellectual is a person who uses intelligence and critical or analytical reasoning in either a professional or a personal capacity.- Terminology and endeavours :"Intellectual" can denote four types of persons:...
, musicologist, and Indologist - Ambarish DasAlfred FordAlfred Ford , also known as Ambarish Das, is an American businessman. He is a great grandson of legendary businessman Henry Ford. He is married to Dr...
(born Alfred Ford) - American businessman, great-grandson of Henry FordHenry FordHenry Ford was an American industrialist, the founder of the Ford Motor Company, and sponsor of the development of the assembly line technique of mass production. His introduction of the Model T automobile revolutionized transportation and American industry...
, and a follower of Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (the founder of ISKCON) - Urmila Devi DasiUrmila Devi DasiUrmila Devi Dasi, , was born in 1955 in New York City. Her father was president and later, CEO, of the Manischewitz food company, founded by his grandfather. She joined the International Society for Krishna Consciousness in 1973 in Chicago and became a disciple of A. C...
(born Edith E. Best) - female ISKCON educator - Geoffrey GiulianoGeoffrey GiulianoGeoffrey Giuliano is an American author, radio personality and film actor, best known for his biographies of The Beatles members John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison, and of musician Pete Townshend....
- American biographer - Nina HagenNina HagenNina Hagen is a German singer and actress.-Early years:Hagen was born as Catharina Hagen in the former East Berlin, East Germany, the daughter of Hans Hagen , a scriptwriter, and Eva-Maria Hagen, an actress and singer...
(follower of Haidakhan BabajiHaidakhan BabajiHaidakhan Babaji, simply called "Babaji" or Bhole Baba by his students and devotees, was a teacher who appeared in northern India and taught publicly from 1970 to 1984...
) - GermanGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
singer - Aldous HuxleyAldous HuxleyAldous Leonard Huxley was an English writer and one of the most prominent members of the famous Huxley family. Best known for his novels including Brave New World and a wide-ranging output of essays, Huxley also edited the magazine Oxford Poetry, and published short stories, poetry, travel...
(disciple of Swami PrabhavanandaSwami PrabhavanandaSwami Prabhavananda was an Indian philosopher, monk of the Ramakrishna Order, and religious teacher.-Biography:...
) - English writer who emigrated to the United States, author of Brave New WorldBrave New WorldBrave New World is Aldous Huxley's fifth novel, written in 1931 and published in 1932. Set in London of AD 2540 , the novel anticipates developments in reproductive technology and sleep-learning that combine to change society. The future society is an embodiment of the ideals that form the basis of... - Joe Don LooneyJoe Don LooneyJoe Don Looney was an American football running back in the National Football League for the New York Giants, Baltimore Colts, Detroit Lions, Washington Redskins, and the New Orleans Saints. He attended Admiral Farragut Academy in St. Petersburg, Florida and Paschal High School in Ft...
(follower of Swami MuktanandaMuktanandaSwami Muktananda is the monastic name of an Indian Hindu guru and disciple of Bhagavan Nityananda. Swami Muktananda was the founder of Siddha Yoga...
) - footballAmerican footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player - J. Mascis - Lead vocalist, guitarist, and drummer for Dinosaur Jr.
- John McLaughlinJohn McLaughlin (musician)John McLaughlin , also known as Mahavishnu John McLaughlin, is an English guitarist, bandleader and composer...
(became a disciple of Sri ChinmoySri ChinmoyChinmoy Kumar Ghose, also known as Sri Chinmoy was an Indian spiritual teacher, poet, artist and athlete who immigrated to the U.S. in 1964., the founder of the religious organization "Sri Chinmoy Centre Church, Inc." better known as "Sri Chinmoy Centre"...
) - jazz fusionJazz fusionJazz fusion is a musical fusion genre that developed from mixing funk and R&B rhythms and the amplification and electronic effects of rock, complex time signatures derived from non-Western music and extended, typically instrumental compositions with a jazz approach to lengthy group improvisations,...
guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
player - Lex HixonLex HixonLex Hixon was an accomplished author, poet, and spiritual teacher. He practiced and held membership in several of the world's major great religious traditions, and documented his spiritual explorations in nine books and many articles and teachings given to various groups...
(syncretist and disciple of Swami Nikhilananda) - poet, philosopher, spiritual practitioner and teacher - Mathias RustMathias RustMathias Rust is a German aviator known for his illegal landing on May 28, 1987 near Red Square in Moscow. As an amateur pilot, he flew from Finland to Moscow, being tracked several times by Soviet air defence and interceptors...
- German daredevil pilot - J. D. SalingerJ. D. SalingerJerome David Salinger was an American author, best known for his 1951 novel The Catcher in the Rye, as well as his reclusive nature. His last original published work was in 1965; he gave his last interview in 1980....
- American author best known for The Catcher in the RyeThe Catcher in the RyeThe Catcher in the Rye is a 1951 novel by J. D. Salinger. Originally published for adults, it has since become popular with adolescent readers for its themes of teenage confusion, angst, alienation, language, and rebellion. It has been translated into almost all of the world's major... - Kelli WilliamsKelli WilliamsKelli Renee Williams is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Lindsay Dole on the Legal drama The Practice and as psychologist and deception expert Dr. Gillian Foster on Lie to Me....
- AmericanUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actress who played Lindsay Dole DonnellLindsay DoleLindsay Suzanne Dole was one of the lead characters on ABC's The Practice, a television drama about a law firm in Boston, Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Dole was played by Kelli Williams. Her character tried civil cases and was Bobby Donnell's wife until they separated in season 7.Lindsay obtained...
on the ABCAmerican Broadcasting CompanyThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
legal dramaLegal dramaA legal drama is a work of dramatic fiction about crime and civil litigation. Subtypes of legal dramas include courtroom dramas and legal thrillers, and come in all forms, including novels, television shows, and films. Legal drama sometimes overlap with crime drama, most notably in the case of Law...
The PracticeThe PracticeThe Practice is an American legal drama created by David E. Kelley centering on the partners and associates at a Boston law firm. Running for eight seasons from 1997 to 2004, the show won the Emmy in 1998 and 1999 for Best Drama Series, and spawned the successful and lighter spin-off series Boston...
. - Ricky WilliamsRicky WilliamsErrick Lynne "Ricky" Williams, Jr. is an American football running back for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints fifth overall in the 1999 NFL Draft...
- Miami DolphinsMiami DolphinsThe Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
footballAmerican footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player. - Crispian MillsCrispian MillsCrispian Mills is an English singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He is the son of actress Hayley Mills and director Roy Boulting, the grandson of John Mills and Mary Hayley Bell , nephew of Juliet Mills and Jonathan Mills, and half-brother to Jason "Ace" Lawson...
- English rock singer named Krishna Kantha dasa. He wrote a foreword to a book by Bhaktivinoda ThakurBhaktivinoda ThakurSrila Bhaktivinoda Thakur , a prominent figure among the Gaudiya Vaishnavas of Bengal, was born Kedarnath Datta in the town of Birnagar, Bengal, India. He was the son of Raja Krsnananda Datta and Jagat Mohini Devi...
titled Sri SiksastakaSiksastakaThe Siksastaka is a Gaudiya Vaishnava Hindu prayer of eight verses composed in the Sanskrit language. They are believed to be the only verses left personally written by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, with the majority of his philosophy being codyfied by his primary disciples, known as the Six Goswamis of...
. - Jeffrey Armstrong - Canadian Author, Speaker, Poet