Alain Danielou

Alain Danielou

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Category: History

Alain Danielou Profile

  • Name:
  • Alain Danielou
  • Born:
  • October 4, 1907
  • Died:
  • January 27, 1994
  • Father:
  • Charles Danielou
  • Mother:
  • Madeleine Clamorgan

Alain Danielou Biography

Alain Danielou was a French historian, intellectual, musicologist and Indologist, best known as expert on Shaivite Hinduism. He is one of the noted converted persons from western culture to Hinduism. Sangeet Natak Akademi conferred him with a fellowship in 1991 for his contributions towards the field of Indian art, history and culture. His father Charles Danielou was a French politician who was Minister of the Merchant Marine in the early 1930s. Like Alain his brother Jean Danielou was also a theologian and historian. Swiss photographer Raymond Burnier was his life partner.

 

Alain Danielou was born on 4 October 1907 at Neuilly-sur-Seine, France into a religious Christian family. His mother, Madeleine Clamorgan was a religious person who founded schools and a religious order, Order of Sainte-Marie, for women teachers. He had many brothers of whom Jean Danielou and Alain Danielou had common interests. His father was a politician and minister. Thus he was born into an influential family in France. Alain’s education was done at different educational institutions. Later he began his professional career as a dancer of local troupes.

 

Growing up he rebelled against his mother's deep devotion to her faith. But his father influenced him a lot and made an impact on him. He also studied piano and singing, and started writing poems. He came to India for the first time in 1932 as a part of an adventurous trip, and his partner Swiss photographer Raymond Burnier also accompanied him. They were fascinated with the art and culture of the nation, and slowly Alain became a part of Indian culture. In the early 1930s, he also met Tagore. He joined the Banaras Hindu University in 1935 and studied Hindu music, Sanskrit, Indian philosophy and Hindu religion for the next 15 years. After that he served the university as a research professor.

Published: March 01, 2019

Updated: March 01, 2019

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