Conversion in Hindu Culture

A talk by by Shaunaka Rishi Das of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies

The word conversion conjures up images of determined zealots, waving their book, and haranguing a fallen soul to turn to the one true God. The issue of conversion in India has resulted in death and the destruction of sacred places. Some Hindus stand firmly by the assertion that there is no conversion in Hindu tradition. Some say you become a Hindu only by birth, and others maintain that the impure should not even be allowed into temples. In this talk we explore Hindu ways of thinking about conversion, change, and transformation, and try to explain different approaches to these ideas, and how they may apply in a modern context.