Chaplains provide religious, pastoral, welfare, and moral support to all members of the naval service, regardless of faith, whether they are based ashore or serving on ships and submarines.
The British Royal Navy, for the first time, has appointed a Hindu chaplain, marking the first instance of a non-Christian being officially chosen to provide spiritual guidance to naval personnel based on the tenets of Hinduism.ย
Bhanuย 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.
Who isย Bhanu Attri?ย
Bhanu Attri (39) is originally from Himachal Pradesh, India, but now lives in Essex.ย Attri is a Hindu priest with long-standing experience managing a temple in London.
He 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.
Over 29 weeks, cadets were trained at Britannia Royal Naval College (BRNC) in Dartmouth, south-west England, 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.”
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.
Himachal Pradesh CM congratulates Bhanu Attri
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu congratulated Bhanu Attri on his achievement, calling it a matter of pride not only for the state but also for the entire country.ย
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.”
Fleet is a profound honour: Attri
Terming 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 Navyโs 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 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.
HCUK’s Anil Bhanot, Hindu Advisor to the UKโs Ministry of Defence (MoD) said, “The training can be arduous, requiring medical fitness standards and readiness for duty 24/7 at short notice,โ noted Anil Bhanot, HCUKโs advisor to the Ministry of Defence. He added that Attriโs appointment could encourage more young British Hindus to explore military careers, emphasising, โAlthough our spiritual bhoomi (land) is India, our karmabhoomi is the United Kingdom โ and the MoD represents our protective arm.”
(With PTI inputs)