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 Annie Jobbie (also known as Chitra Shaji Kailash) – Indian actress Agehananda Bharati – German Indologist M. Chandra – Indian Politician Sister Christine – German-American educationist and disciple of Swami Vivekananda Alice Coltrane – American jazz musician James Cousins (also known as Jayaram) – Irish-Indian writer and Theosophist Alain Daniélou – French Indologist Bhagavan Das – (born Kermit Michael Riggs) – American yogi Savitri Devi – French-born Greek Nazi activist, writer and German spy Verrier Elwin – British Christian missionary who converted to Hinduism in 1935 under the influence of Mahatma Gandhi Alfred Ford – American businessman David Frawley – American writer, Ayurveda practitioner, astrologer and Hindutva proponent Sister Gargi – American writer and disciple of Swami Ashokananda of Ramakrishna Mission François Gautier – French political writer, journalist and Hindutva proponent Trevor Hall – American musician George Harrison – Lead guitarist of The Beatles and solo-artist, follower of ISKCON David Ananda Hart – British theologian Christopher Isherwood – American novelist and disciple of Swami Prabhavananda of Ramakrishna Mission Jomol – Indian actress Kirtanananda Swami (born as Keith Gordon Ham) – Gaudiya Vaishnav guru and founder of New Vrindaban; raised as a Baptist Lissy – Indian actress Jeffery D. Long – American scholar of religious studies; converted from Catholicism Dharma Mittra – Brazilian yoga teacher; raised in a Catholic family Nayanthara – Indian actress Sister Nivedita– British-Irish writer, educationist, Indian independence activist and disciple of Swami Vivekananda Ranchor Prime – British author and Hindu religious scholar; was raised as a Roman Catholic Julia Roberts – American actress Sonia Sahni – Indian actress Satyananda Stokes – American former Evangelist and Indian independence activist E. C. George Sudarshan – American theoretical physicist John Woodroffe – British Indologist Yadunandana Swami – (born as Javier Pera López) – Spanish adherent of ISKCON; previously a Roman Catholic Ieva Zasimauskaitė – Lithuanian Singer Carol Gabbard – mother of United States politician Tulsi Gabbard

Islam

Zubeida Begum — Indian actress Ashalata Biswas — Indian actress Asha Sachdev — Indian actress Annapurna Devi — Indian surbahar (bass sitar) player of Hindustani classical music Harilal Gandhi — Son of Mahatma Gandhi Sati Kazanova — Russian singer Aashish Khan — Indian classical musician Editor Mohan — Indian film editor Nargis — Indian actress, politician, and social worker who converted upon marriage to actor Sunil Dutt Ramasimhan — Indian film director Raskhan — Sufi poet Syed Waseem Rizvi — Former member and chairman of the Shia Central Waqf Board of Uttar Pradesh Happy Salma — Indonesian actress, converted and became member of the Lordship of Ubud after marriage Salabega — Odia poet Anwar Shaikh — British–Pakistani writer Ifa Sudewi — Indonesian chief judge for the 2002 Bali bombing trials Sukmawati Sukarnoputri — Daughter of Indonesia's founding father and first president Sukarno Haridas Thakura — Prominent Vaishnavite saint, instrumental in the early appearance and spread of the Gaudiya Vaishnavism movementIndiaʼs Spiritual Renaissance: The Life and Times of Lord Chaitanya, Steven Rosen, Folk Books, 1988Caitanya caritāmṛta of Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja: a translation and commentary Dept. of Sanskrit and Indian Studies, Harvard University, 1999 Zubeida — Indian actress

Judaism Ram Dass (born Richard Alpert) (1931–2019) – syncretist, and follower of the Hindu deity Hanuman. Professor of psychology at Harvard University.Ram Dass – the official interactive Satsang site for author (Be Here Now) and spiritual teacher Ram Dass Tamal Krishna Goswami (born Thomas G. Herzig) (1946–2002) – governing body commissioner of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.Religious Conversion: Contemporary Practices and Controversies, page 3, Christopher Lamb, M. Darroll Bryant 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.

From other Indian-origin religions

This is list of converts from Indian-origin religions.

Buddhism

Mihirakula () – Huna ruler. Rajasinghe I () – Sri Lankan king who conquered Kandy.Dona Catherina: the last empress of Lanka Lanka Library Rishabhadatta () – Satrap viceroy.Divatia 42 Rudradaman I () – Satrap ruler and conqueror of the Satavahanas. Vasudeva I () – Kushan king Jayavarman III () - Prince

Jainism

Mahendravarman I () – Pallava King and patron of the arts.Kan Sastri, A History of South India, p. 382-383 Vishnuvardhana () – King of Hoysala empire and prominent temple-builder. Tirunavukkarasar () – Saivite saint and one of the most prominent of the sixty-three Nayanars.

Other

Other theist converts Mihirakula (r. c. 502–530) – Huna ruler. Heliodorus () – Greek minister to King Bhagabhadra. Pamheiba (1690–1751) – Manipuri King Suhungmung () – Ahom kingdom's ruler who extended Assam up to the Kamarupa KingdomShimray, R.R. Origin and Culture of Nagas. Pamleiphi Shimray, 1985 Supangmung () – Ahom kingdom's ruler who recaptured Guwahati. Converted to Vaishnavism.Neog, Maheshwar. Religions of the North-east: Studies in the Formal Religions of North. Munshiram Manoharlal, 1984. Susenghphaa () – Ahom king; during his rule the Ahom-Mughal conflicts beganKrishna, Manmohan. Political Consciousness in Indian English Writing: A Study Of Manohar Malgonkar, Naintara Sahgal & Bhabani Bhattacharya.1991, Bahri Publications.

Non-theistic converts

Annie Besant – British socialist, theosophist, women's rights activist, writer, orator, and supporter of both Irish and Indian self-rule. John Dobson (former atheist who became a believer in Vedanta) – astronomer and telescope designer. Sita Ram Goel (former atheist) – Indian commentator, writer and Hindu activist. 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.Agehananda Bharati Alain Daniélou – French historian, intellectual, musicologist, and Indologist. 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.Bhaktivinoda Thakura (1997) Sri Siksastaka, . 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 Geoffrey Giuliano – American biographer.

Nina Hagen (follower of Haidakhan Babaji) – German singer. Joe Don Looney (follower of Swami Muktananda) – football player. J Mascis – lead vocalist, guitarist, and drummer for Dinosaur Jr.exclaim.ca John McLaughlin (became a disciple of Sri Chinmoy) – jazz fusion guitar player. Lex Hixon (syncretist and disciple of Swami Nikhilananda) – poet, philosopher, spiritual practitioner and teacher.Lex Hixon.org Sati Kazanova, Russian singer. Savitri Devi (born Maximiani Portas) – Greek-French writer and Nazi-sympathiser.Gods of the Blood: The Pagan Revival and White Separatism, page 183, Mattias Gardell, 2003 Savitri Khanolkar (born Eve Yvonne Maday de Maros) – designer of India'''s highest gallantry award, the Param Vir Chakra.Param Vir: Our Heroes in Battle, p.21, Major General Ian Cardozo, 2003 Mathias Rust – German daredevil pilot. Kelli Williams – American actress who played Lindsay Dole Donnell on the ABC legal drama The Practice''.Kelli Williams Quotes and Trivia at MovieTome Sherlyn Chopra - Indian actress.

List of converts to Hinduism

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