Swami Nikhilanand

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Swami Nikhilanand is a Canadian-born Hindu spiritual leader and teacher at Radha Madhav Dham, a large Hindu temple complex in the United States. He is a disciple of Kripalu Maharaj and a teacher in the Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat tradition. He travels around the United States sharing Hindu scriptures and devotional practice.

Born in Canada and raised as a Christian, Nikhilanand spent eight years as an outdoor education instructor and wilderness guide on Vancouver Island. He later embraced Hinduism at the Radha Madhav Dham Ashram in Austin, Texas. In 2000, he went to India to meet Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj, joined the ashram, studied Sanskrit scriptures, meditation, and devotional music, and was given sanyasa, becoming a spiritual teacher and ascetic.

Nikhilanand leads week-long “Essentials of the Gita” Family Camps in many American cities, where hundreds of people attend lectures, classes, meditation, and Sanskrit verses. The main goal of his work with Radha Madhav Dham is to teach Hindu scriptures and the path of bhakti yoga, or loving devotion to God.

He has played prominent roles at major Hindu events, including the 6th Global Gita Conference in New York (2008) and the Hindu Mandir Executives’ Conference in Houston (2010), where he gave an inaugural speech. He was invited as the chief guest for Makar Sankranti celebrations in Houston (2010) and spoke at Hindu-Jewish Solidarity Day in Houston (2011). A Hamilton College study (2006) highlighted his teaching in New York.

Nikhilanand regularly speaks at Hindu groups and temples across the United States, including Hindus of Greater Houston and the Hindu Students Council. He has been interviewed on ITV Gold and Radio Salaam Namaste, and his Essence of the Gita lectures have been broadcast on New York TV channels. His writings have appeared in Hinduism Today.