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First Post
9 hours ago
- General
- First Post
Meet Bhanu Attri, the first-ever Hindu chaplain of the British Royal Navy
Bhanu Attri, a 39-year-old from Himachal Pradesh, has become the Royal Navy's first Hindu and non-Christian chaplain. Attri, who grew up in Himachal Pradesh before moving to the UK, will be offering spiritual support to fellow naval officers based on the tenets of Hinduism Bhanu Attri underwent six weeks of officer training, which included sea survival exercises and four weeks aboard the warship HMS Iron Duke. Image courtesy: X A pandit from Himachal Pradesh has made history by becoming the Royal Navy's first-ever Hindu chaplain. Bhanu Attri, 39, who grew up in the hill state before moving to the UK's Essex, formally passed out of the prestigious Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth last week. His appointment is not just a first for the Hindu community; he is also the Royal Navy's first non-Christian chaplain. Attri was among 148 new officers and two chaplains who completed their training and proudly passed out together. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD So, who is Bhanu Attri? What will his role look like in the Navy? And why was he chosen for this important position? Here's a closer look. First, who is a chaplain? In the Royal Navy, chaplains are there to provide religious guidance, pastoral care, and moral support to anyone in service, no matter what their faith may be. Whether on a ship, a submarine, or at a base, their role is to be a source of comfort and counsel for those who need it. As a Hindu priest with decades of experience leading a temple in London, Attri will also bring his own traditions into the role. Alongside general support, he will conduct Hindu prayer ceremonies for personnel who follow the faith. Today, there are about 40 Hindus serving full-time in the Royal Navy, along with another 30 in the Maritime Reserves. Across the UK military as a whole, more than 1,550 Hindus are serving full-time, with the majority in the army. Who is Bhanu Attri? At 39, Bhanu Attri completed his training journey that was unlike that of most naval cadets. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD He underwent six weeks of officer training, which included sea survival exercises and four weeks aboard the warship HMS Iron Duke. This was followed by three weeks of specialised training that focused solely on the duties of a military chaplain. Like all cadets, Attri then joined the intensive 29-week programme at Britannia Royal Naval College (BRNC) in Dartmouth. The training covered everything from leadership and naval history to seafaring, survival, and teamwork. Like all cadets, Attri then joined the intensive 29-week programme at Britannia Royal Naval College (BRNC) in Dartmouth. PTI Beyond classrooms and parade grounds, cadets spent time on Dartmoor tackling leadership exercises, sailed aboard operational warships, and trained with specialist Vahana boats on the River Dart and the English Channel. The programme culminated in the ceremonial passing-out parade, where families, friends, and senior naval leaders watched cadets being recognised as the 'leaders of tomorrow.' Reflecting on his journey, Attri said, 'As a Hindu brought up in India, the chance to represent individuals from other diverse religions brings meaningful representation for the Hindu community and reflects the Navy's commitment to diversity, inclusion, and spiritual care for all.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD He added: 'My family feels immense pride, a pride grounded in generations of faith, service, and resilience.' Why was Attri selected for the role? The Hindu Council UK (HCUK) welcomed his appointment, noting that Attri had been proposed as an ideal candidate after meeting a demanding set of criteria. These included personal fitness, both physical and mental, a principled approach to faith and philosophy, pastoral and reflective qualities, and a strong educational background equivalent to a Hindu scriptural degree. His years of experience in leadership, his ability to foster interfaith relations, and his fluency in English made him an especially strong fit for the Navy's chaplaincy. 'The training can be arduous, requiring medical fitness standards and readiness for duty 24/7 at short notice,' explained Anil Bhanot, HCUK's advisor to the Ministry of Defence. He added that Attri's appointment could encourage more young British Hindus to explore careers in the military. 'Although our spiritual bhoomi (land) is India, our karmabhoomi is the United Kingdom — and the MoD represents our protective arm,' he said. Back home, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu congratulated Attri on his achievement, calling it a matter of pride not only for the state but also for the entire country. सोलन ज़िला के गढ़खल निवासी भानु अत्री जी को ब्रिटेन की रॉयल नेवी में हिंदू चैप्लेन (पादरी) के रूप में चयनित होने पर हार्दिक बधाई एवं शुभकामनाएँ। भानु अत्री जी पहले भारतीय हैं, जिन्हें ब्रिटेन की रॉयल नेवी में यह गौरवपूर्ण दायित्व मिला है। उनकी यह उपलब्धि हिमाचल के साथ-साथ पूरे… — Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu (@SukhuSukhvinder) August 18, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In an X post, Sukhu said, 'Heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to Bhanu Atri ji, a resident of Garhkhal in Solan district, on being selected as a Hindu chaplain (pastor) in the British Royal Navy. Bhanu Atri ji is the first Indian to receive this prestigious responsibility in the British Royal Navy. His achievement is a matter of pride and inspiration not only for Himachal but for the entire country.' With input from agencies
India Today
a day ago
- Politics
- India Today
Bhanu Attri makes history as British Royal Navy's first-ever Hindu chaplain
The UK's Royal Navy has appointed Bhanu Attri, originally from Himachal Pradesh, as its first-ever Hindu chaplain, marking the first time a non-Christian has been officially entrusted with offering spiritual support within the naval force.39-year-old Attri will provide pastoral care and guidance to officers and sailors based on the teachings of Hinduism, reflecting the Navy's broader commitment to diversity and appointment follows a rigorous pathway distinct from other cadets. He completed six weeks of officer instruction, including survival training and four weeks at sea aboard the warship HMS Iron Duke, before undertaking three weeks of specialised chaplaincy training to prepare for his unique responsibilities. Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu congratulated Bhanu Attri on his achievement, describing it as a matter of pride for both the state and the the role as 'a profound honour,' Attri said, 'As a Hindu brought up in India, the opportunity to represent individuals from diverse religions brings meaningful representation for the Hindu community and reflects the Navy's commitment to spiritual care for all. My family feels immense pride, a pride grounded in generations of faith, service, and resilience.'The Hindu Council UK (HCUK) welcomed the milestone, having recommended Attri for the post. The council outlined stringent criteria for the chaplaincy, including physical and mental fitness, deep grounding in Hindu philosophy, leadership experience, pastoral abilities, and strong interfaith and cultural integration skills.'The training can be arduous, requiring medical fitness standards and readiness for duty 24/7 at short notice,' noted Anil Bhanot, HCUK's advisor to the Ministry of Defence. He added that Attri's appointment could encourage more young British Hindus to explore military careers, emphasising, 'Although our spiritual bhoomi (land) is India, our karmabhoomi is the United Kingdom — and the MoD represents our protective arm.'Attri was among 148 new officers who completed the Royal Navy's Initial Officer Training at Britannia Royal Naval College (BRNC) in Dartmouth. Over 29 weeks, cadets were trained in leadership, naval history, seafaring, survival, and teamwork. The course culminated in a formal passing-out ceremony attended by families, friends, and senior naval leaders, where the new officers were recognised as the 'leaders of tomorrow.'- Ends
Economic Times
a day ago
- General
- Economic Times
UK's Royal Navy appoints Himachal Pradesh cadet as first-ever Hindu chaplain
The UK's Royal Navy has appointed its first-ever Hindu chaplain, the first non-Christian to be appointed for the official role of offering spiritual support to fellow naval officers based on the tenets of Hinduism. Bhanu Attri, originally from Himachal Pradesh, took over his new role last week after undergoing a somewhat different course from other Navy cadets. He went through six weeks of officer instruction, including sea survival with four weeks at sea aboard the warship HMS Iron Duke, and three weeks focused on the role of a military chaplain."To become the first-ever Hindu chaplain in the fleet is a profound honour," said Attri."As a Hindu brought up in India, the chance to represent individuals from other diverse religions brings meaningful representation for the Hindu community and reflects the Navy's commitment to diversity, inclusion, and spiritual care for all," said the 39-year-old. "My family feels immense pride, a pride grounded in generations of faith, service, and resilience," he Hindu Council UK (HCUK) welcomed the move after proposing Attri as fitting the criteria for the role: personal fitness both physical and mental, principled in faith and philosophy, reflective and pastoral; professional eligibility of education equivalent to Hindu scriptural degree level and post accreditation experience in leadership capacity, with a sound sense of spirituality and interfaith relations; and general outlook for integration into the British culture and having good English communicative skills."The training can be arduous, which requires medical fitness standards, ready for duty 24/7 at short notice," said HCUK's Anil Bhanot, Hindu Advisor to the UK's Ministry of Defence (MoD)."MoD careers are sometimes neglected by our Hindu youth and we will try and do more community meetings at temples to raise awareness. British Hindus have settled here from all corners of the world, and although our spiritual bhoomi (land) is India, our karmabhoomi is the United Kingdom and MoD represents our protective arm," he was among 148 new officers among the so-called "leaders of tomorrow", including warfare specialists, engineers, overseas and all cadets who joined from civilian life who completed their "Initial Officer Training" last up to 29 weeks of demanding instruction at Britannia Royal Naval College (BRNC) in Dartmouth, south-west England, they transformed from civilian to sailor and formally passed out at a BRNC ceremony in front of friends, family and senior naval officers."We live in a perilous world and as a service we must respond to the challenges to our nation's security, also with confidence - and that means we need people like you that can offer leadership of the highest quality," said Andrew Burns, Vice-Admiral and the Royal Navy's senior operational commander who was the guest of honour at the ceremony."There is no greater commitment than to serve your country, and to lead others to do the same," he training is designed to teach the basics of serving in the military, such as drill and uniform, through the fundamentals of leadership, seafaring, naval history and addition to extensive time in the classroom and on the parade ground, cadets head out on to Dartmoor to learn and develop leadership and teamwork skills, spend time at sea aboard an operational warship, and conduct training on specialist Vahana boats on the River Dart and in the English Channel. "Commissioning into the Royal Navy is a moment none of us forget, and it has been a privilege to follow these officers through their training. What awaits is a life of duty and frontline service," said Captain Andy Bray, Captain Britannia Royal Naval College. PTI
Time of India
a day ago
- General
- Time of India
UK's Royal Navy appoints Himachal Pradesh cadet as first-ever Hindu chaplain
The UK's Royal Navy has made history by appointing Bhanu Attri as its first-ever Hindu chaplain. Attri, originally from India, underwent specialized training, including sea survival and time aboard HMS Iron Duke, to prepare for his role of providing spiritual support to naval officers based on Hindu principles. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads The UK's Royal Navy has appointed its first-ever Hindu chaplain, the first non-Christian to be appointed for the official role of offering spiritual support to fellow naval officers based on the tenets of Hinduism. Bhanu Attri , originally from Himachal Pradesh, took over his new role last week after undergoing a somewhat different course from other Navy went through six weeks of officer instruction, including sea survival with four weeks at sea aboard the warship HMS Iron Duke, and three weeks focused on the role of a military chaplain."To become the first-ever Hindu chaplain in the fleet is a profound honour," said Attri."As a Hindu brought up in India, the chance to represent individuals from other diverse religions brings meaningful representation for the Hindu community and reflects the Navy's commitment to diversity, inclusion, and spiritual care for all," said the 39-year-old."My family feels immense pride, a pride grounded in generations of faith, service, and resilience," he Hindu Council UK (HCUK) welcomed the move after proposing Attri as fitting the criteria for the role: personal fitness both physical and mental, principled in faith and philosophy, reflective and pastoral; professional eligibility of education equivalent to Hindu scriptural degree level and post accreditation experience in leadership capacity, with a sound sense of spirituality and interfaith relations; and general outlook for integration into the British culture and having good English communicative skills."The training can be arduous, which requires medical fitness standards, ready for duty 24/7 at short notice," said HCUK's Anil Bhanot, Hindu Advisor to the UK's Ministry of Defence (MoD)."MoD careers are sometimes neglected by our Hindu youth and we will try and do more community meetings at temples to raise awareness. British Hindus have settled here from all corners of the world, and although our spiritual bhoomi (land) is India, our karmabhoomi is the United Kingdom and MoD represents our protective arm," he was among 148 new officers among the so-called "leaders of tomorrow", including warfare specialists, engineers, overseas and all cadets who joined from civilian life who completed their "Initial Officer Training" last up to 29 weeks of demanding instruction at Britannia Royal Naval College (BRNC) in Dartmouth, south-west England, they transformed from civilian to sailor and formally passed out at a BRNC ceremony in front of friends, family and senior naval officers."We live in a perilous world and as a service we must respond to the challenges to our nation's security, also with confidence - and that means we need people like you that can offer leadership of the highest quality," said Andrew Burns, Vice-Admiral and the Royal Navy's senior operational commander who was the guest of honour at the ceremony."There is no greater commitment than to serve your country, and to lead others to do the same," he training is designed to teach the basics of serving in the military, such as drill and uniform, through the fundamentals of leadership, seafaring, naval history and addition to extensive time in the classroom and on the parade ground, cadets head out on to Dartmoor to learn and develop leadership and teamwork skills, spend time at sea aboard an operational warship, and conduct training on specialist Vahana boats on the River Dart and in the English Channel."Commissioning into the Royal Navy is a moment none of us forget, and it has been a privilege to follow these officers through their training. What awaits is a life of duty and frontline service," said Captain Andy Bray, Captain Britannia Royal Naval College. PTI
News18
a day ago
- General
- News18
UK's Royal Navy appoints Himachal Pradesh cadet as first-ever Hindu chaplain
Agency: London, Aug 19 (PTI) The UK's Royal Navy has appointed its first-ever Hindu chaplain, the first non-Christian to be appointed for the official role of offering spiritual support to fellow naval officers based on the tenets of Hinduism. Bhanu Attri, originally from Himachal Pradesh, took over his new role last week after undergoing a somewhat different course from other Navy cadets. He went through six weeks of officer instruction, including sea survival with four weeks at sea aboard the warship HMS Iron Duke, and three weeks focused on the role of a military chaplain. 'To become the first-ever Hindu chaplain in the fleet is a profound honour," said Attri. 'As a Hindu brought up in India, the chance to represent individuals from other diverse religions brings meaningful representation for the Hindu community and reflects the Navy's commitment to diversity, inclusion, and spiritual care for all," said the 39-year-old. 'My family feels immense pride, a pride grounded in generations of faith, service, and resilience," he said. The Hindu Council UK (HCUK) welcomed the move after proposing Attri as fitting the criteria for the role: personal fitness both physical and mental, principled in faith and philosophy, reflective and pastoral; professional eligibility of education equivalent to Hindu scriptural degree level and post accreditation experience in leadership capacity, with a sound sense of spirituality and interfaith relations; and general outlook for integration into the British culture and having good English communicative skills. 'The training can be arduous, which requires medical fitness standards, ready for duty 24/7 at short notice," said HCUK's Anil Bhanot, Hindu Advisor to the UK's Ministry of Defence (MoD). 'MoD careers are sometimes neglected by our Hindu youth and we will try and do more community meetings at temples to raise awareness. British Hindus have settled here from all corners of the world, and although our spiritual bhoomi (land) is India, our karmabhoomi is the United Kingdom and MoD represents our protective arm," he said. Attri was among 148 new officers among the so-called 'leaders of tomorrow", including warfare specialists, engineers, overseas and all cadets who joined from civilian life who completed their 'Initial Officer Training" last week. After up to 29 weeks of demanding instruction at Britannia Royal Naval College (BRNC) in Dartmouth, south-west England, they transformed from civilian to sailor and formally passed out at a BRNC ceremony in front of friends, family and senior naval officers. 'We live in a perilous world and as a service we must respond to the challenges to our nation's security, also with confidence – and that means we need people like you that can offer leadership of the highest quality," said Andrew Burns, Vice-Admiral and the Royal Navy's senior operational commander who was the guest of honour at the ceremony. 'There is no greater commitment than to serve your country, and to lead others to do the same," he said. The training is designed to teach the basics of serving in the military, such as drill and uniform, through the fundamentals of leadership, seafaring, naval history and strategy. In addition to extensive time in the classroom and on the parade ground, cadets head out on to Dartmoor to learn and develop leadership and teamwork skills, spend time at sea aboard an operational warship, and conduct training on specialist Vahana boats on the River Dart and in the English Channel. 'Commissioning into the Royal Navy is a moment none of us forget, and it has been a privilege to follow these officers through their training. What awaits is a life of duty and frontline service," said Captain Andy Bray, Captain Britannia Royal Naval College. PTI AK RD RD (This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI) view comments First Published: August 19, 2025, 19:00 IST News agency-feeds UK's Royal Navy appoints Himachal Pradesh cadet as first-ever Hindu chaplain Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Loading comments...
