Jay Lakhani

Jay Lakhani (Hindi:श्री जे लखानी; born December 5, 1948) is a theoretical theorist and a speaker on religious pluralism. He is the editor of two books related to the teaching of Hinduism in schools in the UK; Hinduism for Schools and Primary Hinduism. He received an MSc in Theoretical Physics in 1970 and is the first Hindu tutor to be appointed by Eton College for religious study. He is also an Education Director for the Hindu Council(UK) and the head of The Hindu Academy(UK). His current work explores the link between science and spirituality.

Early life and education

Lakhani was born in Mombasa, Kenya, spent his childhood in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and moved to London at the age of 15. After attending Wembley Grammar School, he studied Physics at Imperial College in London and graduated in 1969. He obtained a postgraduate degree in Quantum Mechanics in 1970.

Career

From 1970 to 1994, Lakahni ran his father's rice and coffee trading business. Since retiring, he has worked as a spiritual humanist and philanthropist presenter for Hinduism.

He has published articles and given university presentations on Hinduism, as well as contributed to documentaries by BBC and ITV. His work explores the findings of modern physics and how they relate to the broader ideas of spirituality at the heart of Hindu tradition.

Media participation

• Hindu contributor towards BBC documentary ‘Story of God’
• Hindu contributor on ITV documentary Sex and Religion
• TEDxLoughborough 2014 talk titled Caring for Tomorrow Today.

Personal life

Lakahni married Pushpa in 1976 and they have one daughter, Seeta. Lakhani says the bibliography of Swami Vivekanand had a great deal of influence over his life.