Why Did Julia Roberts Convert To Hinduism?

Julia Roberts is one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. She has acted in several critically acclaimed and commercially successful films in her long career. Roberts is also a recipient of an Academy Award, a BAFTA award, and three Golden Globe Awards.

There is one aspect of her personal life that isn’t talked about much. The ‘Pretty Woman‘ actress converted to Hinduism after a visit to India. Let’s find out why Roberts converted to a completely new religion and if she is still a Hindu. Keep on reading to know more.

Julia Roberts Converted To Hinduism

Roberts is one of the most bankable stars in the world. She has had a successful career most of us can only dream about. However, the actress is unlike most and is a peace seeker.

Back in 2009, she visited India to shoot ‘Eat Pray Love’. Born to Catholic parents in Georgia, Roberts was a Christian. However, in 2010, she decided to convert to Hinduism.

During her India visit, the Oscar-winning actress saw a picture of Neem Karoli Baba which drew her to Hinduism. “I was drawn to this picture of this person, and I didn’t know who he was or what he was about, but I felt a very strong interest“, she said.

She said that her husband and three children visit temples to chant and pray. Swami Daram Dev of Ashram Hari Mandir in India gave her children new names based on Hindu gods. Laxmi for Hazel, Ganesh for Phinnaeus, and Krishna Balram for Henry.

Roberts’s Ancestors Were Slave Owners

In the season 9 premiere episode of PBS’s documentary television series ‘Know Your Roots‘, Roberts got to know that her ancestors were slave owners.

Her fourth great-grandfather Edward Townsend, had owned enslaved black people on a farm that was spread over 2,000 acres. She had assumed this because of her Georgian roots.

“You have to figure if you’re from the South, you’re on one side of it or the other,” she said. The actress said that it is important to “understand” and “not shy away from” this fact.