Julia Roberts in the film Eat Pray Love (2010).

Hollywood actor Julia Roberts' interest in Hinduism began with something she did not expect. It was a photograph she had seen. While promoting her film Eat Pray Love in 2010, Julia spoke about her connection with India and Hinduism during an interview with journalist George Stephanopoulos on Good Morning America. The actor said her interest in the religion had started after she came across a photograph of Indian spiritual teacher Neem Karoli Baba.Stephanopoulos began by asking Roberts about India and noted that she was now practising Hinduism. Roberts responded, "Well, I practice. I mean, I practice a lot of things." She then explained that “Hinduism was something I am very intrigued by and very interested in.”When Stephanopoulos asked where her interest had come from, Roberts pointed to the photograph. "It came from seeing a picture of a guru called Neem Karoli Baba," she said. Roberts said she did not know who he was when she first saw the photograph, but felt strongly drawn to it. "And I was so drawn to the picture of this person and I didn't know who he was or what he was about, but felt a very strong interest," she said.Stephanopoulos then asked whether she had ever met Neem Karoli Baba. Roberts replied, "No, he passed long before I saw his picture." She described the image and the experience as "very intriguing" before adding, "And that's the way things come into our lives."

Who was Neem Karoli Baba?

Roberts never met him; by the time she saw his photograph, he had already died.

Neem Karoli Baba, also known as Neeb Karori Baba, was an Indian spiritual teacher and devotee of Lord Hanuman. He died in 1973. His ashram at Kainchi Dham in Uttarakhand has since become an important pilgrimage site for his followers. Roberts never met him; by the time she saw his photograph, he had already died. What caught Roberts' attention was the image itself. Her curiosity about the person in the photograph led her to learn more about him and the spiritual tradition associated with him.

Her Hindu connection came into focus during Eat Pray Love

She has also spoken about practicing Hinduism with her family.

Roberts' comments came while she was promoting Eat Pray Love, the 2010 film based on Elizabeth Gilbert's memoir. The film follows Gilbert's journey through Italy, India and Bali as she searches for self-discovery. Roberts played the lead role and spent time in India during the filming of the movie.Her public discussion of Hinduism therefore attracted considerable attention. But Roberts' own explanation was that her interest in the religion had begun with the photograph of Neem Karoli Baba. She also spoke about practising Hinduism with her family. Roberts said they visited temples together to pray, chant and celebrate.Her interest in Indian spirituality was also reflected in the name of her production company, Red Om Films. The word "Om" is a sacred syllable in Hinduism and is widely used in Hindu religious and spiritual practices.

An interesting story

Julia Roberts with her children.

Interestingly, Roberts’ Hindu connection also extended to her children. During her 2009 visit to Hari Mandir Ashram in Pataudi, Haryana, where she was shooting Eat Pray Love, Swami Daram Dev gave her three children Hindu names. Hazel Patricia was given the name Laxmi, Phinnaeus “Finn” Walter was named Ganesh, and Henry Daniel was given the name Krishn Balram, according to a PTI report. Roberts visited the ashram with her children and sought the swami’s blessings. One important distinction though, Hazel, Phinnaeus and Henry remain their actual names. Laxmi, Ganesh and Krishn Balram were the Hindu names given to them during that visit.