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4w ago

Royal Navy Names First Hindu Chaplain After BRNC Pass-Out

Bhanu Attri will provide faith-specific pastoral care at HMS Drake, reflecting the Navy’s adaptation to better serve a more religiously diverse force.

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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

Overview

  • Bhanu Attri, 39, a Himachal Pradesh–born, Essex-based Hindu priest, passed out at Britannia Royal Naval College last week among 148 new officers.
  • His appointment marks the Royal Navy’s first Hindu chaplain and its first non-Christian chaplain in the service’s chaplaincy cadre.
  • Attri completed a tailored 13-week entry route—six weeks of officer instruction, four weeks at sea aboard HMS Iron Duke, and three weeks of chaplaincy training—rather than the standard 29-week course most cadets undergo.
  • He is set to join the chaplaincy at HMS Drake to serve personnel in and around Devonport, offering Hindu ceremonies alongside wider pastoral and moral support ashore and at sea.
  • The Hindu Council UK proposed and endorsed him, with adviser Anil Bhanot citing his scriptural qualifications and expressing hope the move will raise awareness of MoD careers among British Hindus; context figures cite about 40 Hindu full‑time Royal Navy personnel, roughly 30 in the reserves, and more than 1,550 across the UK military.