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
- Anirudh Gyan Shikha former member and chairman of the Shia Central Waqf Board.
Judaism
- Ram Dass – syncretist, and follower of the Hindu deity Hanuman. Professor of psychology at Harvard University.
- Tamal Krishna Goswami – governing body commissioner of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.
- Lora Logic – punk rock saxophonist with Poly Styrene's X-Ray Spex.
- Radhanath Swami – 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.
- Rishabhadatta – Satrap viceroy.
- Rudradaman I - Satrap ruler and conqueror of the Satavahanas.
- Vasudeva I – Kushan king
- Jayavarman III
Jainism
- Mahendravarman I – Pallava King and patron of the arts.
- 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 – Huna ruler.
- Heliodorus – Greek minister to King Bhagabhadra.
- Pamheiba – Manipuri King
- Suhungmung – Ahom kingdom's ruler who extended Assam up to the Kamarupa Kingdom
- Supangmung – Ahom kingdom's ruler who recaptured Guwahati. Converted to Vaishnavism.
- Susenghphaa – Ahom king; during his rule the Ahom-Mughal conflicts began
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 – astronomer and telescope designer.
- Sita Ram Goel – Indian commentator, writer and Hindu activist.
- Chrissie Hynde 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, singer with one of Britain's earliest punk rock bands, X-Ray Spex; earlier religious affiliation unknown .
Converts from undetermined former religion
- Agehananda Bharati – academic Sanskritist, a prolific author about religious subjects, and a Hindu monk in the Dasanami Sannyasi order.
- 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.
- Geoffrey Giuliano – American biographer.
- Nina Hagen – German singer.
- Joe Don Looney – football player.
- J Mascis – lead vocalist, guitarist, and drummer for Dinosaur Jr.
- John McLaughlin – jazz fusion guitar player.
- Lex Hixon – poet, philosopher, spiritual practitioner and teacher.
- Sati Kazanova, Russian singer.
- Savitri Devi – Greek-French writer and Nazi-sympathiser.
- Savitri Khanolkar – designer of India's highest gallantry award, the Param Vir Chakra.
- Mathias Rust – German daredevil pilot.
- Kelli Williams – American actress who played Lindsay Dole Donnell on the ABC legal drama The Practice.
- Sherlyn Chopra - Indian actress.