List of converts to Hinduism

Christianity

• Annie Jobbie (also known as Chitra Shaji Kailash) – Indian actress^[1]
• Agehananda Bharati – German Indologist^[2]
• M. Chandra – Indian Politician^[3]
• Sister Christine – German-American educationist and disciple of Swami Vivekananda
• Alice Coltrane – American jazz musician^[4]
• James Cousins (also known as Jayaram) – Irish-Indian writer and Theosophist^[5][6]
• Alain Daniélou – French Indologist^[7]
• Bhagavan Das – (born Kermit Michael Riggs) – American yogi^[8]
• Savitri Devi – French-born Greek Nazi activist, writer and German spy^[9]
• Verrier Elwin – British Christian missionary who converted to Hinduism in 1935 under the influence of Mahatma Gandhi^[10]
• Alfred Ford – American businessman^[11]
• David Frawley – American writer, Ayurveda practitioner, astrologer and Hindutva proponent^[12]
• Sister Gargi – American writer and disciple of Swami Ashokananda of Ramakrishna Mission
• François Gautier – French political writer, journalist and Hindutva proponent^[13]
• Trevor Hall – American musician^[14]
• George Harrison – Lead guitarist of The Beatles and solo-artist, follower of ISKCON^[15]
• David Ananda Hart – British theologian^[16]
• Christopher Isherwood – American novelist and disciple of Swami Prabhavananda of Ramakrishna Mission^[17]
• Jomol – Indian actress^[18][19]
• Kirtanananda Swami (born as Keith Gordon Ham) – Gaudiya Vaishnav guru and founder of New Vrindaban; raised as a Baptist^[20]
• Lissy – Indian actress^[21][22]
• Jeffery D. Long – American scholar of religious studies; converted from Catholicism^[23][24]
• Dharma Mittra – Brazilian yoga teacher; raised in a Catholic family^[25]
• Nayanthara – Indian actress^[26]
• Sister Nivedita– British-Irish writer, educationist, Indian independence activist and disciple of Swami Vivekananda^[27][28]
• Ranchor Prime – British author and Hindu religious scholar; was raised as a Roman Catholic^[29]
• Julia Roberts – American actress^[30]
• Sonia Sahni – Indian actress^[31]
• Satyananda Stokes – American former Evangelist and Indian independence activist^[32]
• E. C. George Sudarshan – American theoretical physicist^[33][34]
• John Woodroffe – British Indologist^[35]
• Yadunandana Swami – (born as Javier Pera López) – Spanish adherent of ISKCON; previously a Roman Catholic^[36]
• Ieva Zasimauskaitė – Lithuanian Singer^[37][38]
• Carol Gabbard – mother of United States politician Tulsi Gabbard^[39]

Islam

• Zubeida Begum — Indian actress^[40][41]
• Ashalata Biswas — Indian actress^[42]
• Asha Sachdev — Indian actress^[43]
• Annapurna Devi — Indian surbahar (bass sitar) player of Hindustani classical music^[44][45]
• Harilal Gandhi — Son of Mahatma Gandhi^[46][47][48]
• Sati Kazanova — Russian singer^[49]
• Aashish Khan — Indian classical musician^[50][51][52]
• Editor Mohan — Indian film editor^[53]
• Nargis — Indian actress, politician, and social worker who converted upon marriage to actor Sunil Dutt^[54][55][56]
• Ramasimhan — Indian film director^[57][58]
• Raskhan — Sufi poet^[59]
• Syed Waseem Rizvi — Former member and chairman of the Shia Central Waqf Board of Uttar Pradesh^[60][61]
• Happy Salma — Indonesian actress, converted and became member of the Lordship of Ubud after marriage^[62]
• Salabega — Odia poet^[63]
• Anwar Shaikh — British–Pakistani writer^[64]
• Ifa Sudewi — Indonesian chief judge for the 2002 Bali bombing trials^[65]
• Sukmawati Sukarnoputri — Daughter of Indonesia's founding father and first president Sukarno^[66][67][68]
• Haridas Thakura — Prominent Vaishnavite saint, instrumental in the early appearance and spread of the Gaudiya Vaishnavism movement^[69][70]
• Zubeida — Indian actress^[71]

Judaism

• Ram Dass (born Richard Alpert) (1931–2019) – syncretist, and follower of the Hindu deity Hanuman. Professor of psychology at Harvard University.^[72]
• Tamal Krishna Goswami (born Thomas G. Herzig) (1946–2002) – governing body commissioner of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.^[73]
• Lora Logic (b. 1960) – punk rock saxophonist with Poly Styrene's X-Ray Spex.^{[citation needed]}
• Radhanath Swami (born Richard Slavin) (b. 1950) – prominent Bhakti yoga guru and a governing body commissioner of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.^[74]

Buddhism

• Mihirakula (r. c. 502 – c. 530) – Huna ruler.^[75]
• Rajasinghe I (c. 1544–1593) – Sri Lankan king who conquered Kandy.^[76]
• Rishabhadatta (1st/2nd century CE) – Satrap viceroy.^[77]
• Rudradaman I (r. 130–150) – Satrap ruler and conqueror of the Satavahanas.^[78]
• Vasudeva I (r. c. 191 – c. 232) – Kushan king
• Jayavarman III (r. c. 835 – c. 877) - Prince

Jainism

• Mahendravarman I (r. 600–630) – Pallava King and patron of the arts.^[79]
• Vishnuvardhana (r. c. 1108 – c. 1152) – King of Hoysala empire and prominent temple-builder.^[80]
• Tirunavukkarasar (c. 6th–7th century CE) – Saivite saint and one of the most prominent of the sixty-three Nayanars.^[81]

Other theist converts

• Mihirakula (r. c. 502–530) – Huna ruler.^{[75] [dubious – discuss]}
• Heliodorus (c. 2nd century BCE) – Greek minister to King Bhagabhadra.^[82]
• Pamheiba (1690–1751) – Manipuri King^[83]
• Suhungmung (r. 1497–1539) – Ahom kingdom's ruler who extended Assam up to the Kamarupa Kingdom^[84]
• Supangmung (r. 1663–1670) – Ahom kingdom's ruler who recaptured Guwahati. Converted to Vaishnavism.^[85]
• Susenghphaa (r. 1603–1641) – Ahom king; during his rule the Ahom-Mughal conflicts began^[86]

Non-theistic converts

• Annie Besant – British socialist, theosophist, women's rights activist, writer, orator, and supporter of both Irish and Indian self-rule.^[87]
• John Dobson (former atheist who became a believer in Vedanta) – astronomer and telescope designer.^[88][89]
• Sita Ram Goel (former atheist) – Indian commentator, writer and Hindu activist.^[90]
• 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.^[91]
• Alain Daniélou – French historian, intellectual, musicologist, and Indologist.^[92]
• 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.^[93]
• Geoffrey Giuliano – American biographer.^[94]

• Nina Hagen (follower of Haidakhan Babaji) – German singer.^[95]
• Joe Don Looney (follower of Swami Muktananda) – football player.^[96]
• J Mascis – lead vocalist, guitarist, and drummer for Dinosaur Jr.^[97]
• John McLaughlin (became a disciple of Sri Chinmoy) – jazz fusion guitar player.^[98]
• Lex Hixon (syncretist and disciple of Swami Nikhilananda) – poet, philosopher, spiritual practitioner and teacher.^[99]
• Sati Kazanova, Russian singer.^[100]
• Savitri Devi (born Maximiani Portas) – Greek-French writer and Nazi-sympathiser.^[101]
• Savitri Khanolkar (born Eve Yvonne Maday de Maros) – designer of India's highest gallantry award, the Param Vir Chakra.^[102]
• Mathias Rust – German daredevil pilot.^[103]
• Kelli Williams – American actress who played Lindsay Dole Donnell on the ABC legal drama The Practice.^[104]
• Sherlyn Chopra - Indian actress.^[105]