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{{Short description|French historian, Indologist, and musicologist (1907–1994)}}
{{Short description|French historian, Indologist and musicologist (1907–1994)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{infobox writer
{{infobox writer
| image         = File:Alain Daniélou.jpg
| image           = Alain Daniélou.jpg
| alt           = Alain Daniélou
| alt             = Alain Daniélou
| caption       =  
| caption         = Alain Daniélou playing the [[piano]]
| birth_date   = 4 October 1907
| birth_date       = {{birth date|1907|10|4|df=y}}
| birth_place   = [[Neuilly-sur-Seine]], [[French Third Republic|France]]
| birth_place     = [[Neuilly-sur-Seine]], [[French Third Republic|France]]
| death_date   = 27 January 1994
| death_date       = {{death date and age|1994|1|27|1907|10|4|df=y}}
| death_place   = [[Lonay, Switzerland]]
| death_place     = [[Lonay]], [[Switzerland]]
| occupation   = [[Indologist]]
| occupation       = [[Historian]], [[Indologist]], [[musicologist]], [[translator]], [[writer]]
| nationality  = French
| subject         = [[Culture of India]], [[Hindu studies]], [[Indian classical music]], [[Indian philosophy]], [[Shaivism|Shaivite]] [[Hinduism]]
| subject       = [[Culture of India]], [[Hindu studies]], [[Indian classical music]], [[Indian philosophy]], [[Shaivism|Shaivite]] [[Hinduism]]
| partner         = [[Raymond Burnier]]<ref name="LePoint">{{cite magazine |last=Golliau |first=Catherine |date=28 June 2010 |title=L'affaire Daniélou |url=https://www.lepoint.fr/culture/l-affaire-danielou-24-06-2010-1207334_3.php |magazine=[[Le Point]] |language=fr |location=[[Paris]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120515074640/https://www.lepoint.fr/culture/l-affaire-danielou-24-06-2010-1207334_3.php |archive-date=15 May 2012 |access-date=8 March 2021}}</ref>
| partner       = [[Raymond Burnier]]<ref name="LePoint">{{cite magazine |last=Golliau |first=Catherine |date=28 June 2010 |title=L'affaire Daniélou |url=https://www.lepoint.fr/culture/l-affaire-danielou-24-06-2010-1207334_3.php |magazine=[[Le Point]] |language=fr |location=[[Paris]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120515074640/https://www.lepoint.fr/culture/l-affaire-danielou-24-06-2010-1207334_3.php |archive-date=15 May 2012 |access-date=8 March 2021}}</ref>
| relatives       = [[Jean Daniélou]]<ref name="LePoint"/><ref name="LeMonde">{{cite news |last=Catinchi |first=Philippe-Jean |date=8 September 2010 |title="L'Hindouisme traditionnel et l'interprétation d'Alain Daniélou", de Jean-Louis Gabin: Alain Daniélou, revu et corrigé |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/livres/article/2010/09/08/l-hindouisme-traditionnel-et-l-interpretation-d-alain-danielou-de-jean-louis-gabin_1408343_3260.html |work=[[Le Monde]] |language=fr |location=[[Paris]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100909051100/https://www.lemonde.fr/livres/article/2010/09/08/l-hindouisme-traditionnel-et-l-interpretation-d-alain-danielou-de-jean-louis-gabin_1408343_3260.html |archive-date=9 September 2010 |access-date=8 March 2021}}</ref><ref name="Boysson 2008">{{cite book |last=de Boysson |first=Emmanuelle |year=2008 |title=Le cardinal et l'hindouiste: Le mystère des frères Daniélou |language=fr |location=[[Paris]] |publisher=Presses de la Renaissance |series=Petite Renaissance. Spiritualité |isbn=9782750904234}}</ref>
| relatives     = [[Jean Daniélou]]<ref name="LePoint"/><ref name="LeMonde">{{cite news |last=Catinchi |first=Philippe-Jean |date=8 September 2010 |title="L'Hindouisme traditionnel et l'interprétation d'Alain Daniélou", de Jean-Louis Gabin: Alain Daniélou, revu et corrigé |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/livres/article/2010/09/08/l-hindouisme-traditionnel-et-l-interpretation-d-alain-danielou-de-jean-louis-gabin_1408343_3260.html |work=[[Le Monde]] |language=fr |location=[[Paris]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100909051100/https://www.lemonde.fr/livres/article/2010/09/08/l-hindouisme-traditionnel-et-l-interpretation-d-alain-danielou-de-jean-louis-gabin_1408343_3260.html |archive-date=9 September 2010 |access-date=8 March 2021}}</ref><ref name="Boysson 2008">{{cite book |last=de Boysson |first=Emmanuelle |year=2008 |title=Le cardinal et l'hindouiste: Le mystère des frères Daniélou |language=fr |location=[[Paris]] |publisher=Presses de la Renaissance |series=Petite Renaissance. Spiritualité |isbn=9782750904234}}</ref>
| website         = {{url|www.alaindanielou.org}}
| website       = {{url|www.alaindanielou.org}}
| notable_works   = * ''Introduction to the Study of Musical Scales'' (1943)<ref>{{cite book |last=Daniélou |first=Alain |year=1943 |title=Introduction to the Study of Musical Scales |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.28938/mode/2up |url-access=limited |location=[[Varanasi|Bénarès]] |publisher=[[The India Society, London]] |isbn=0-8364-2353-4 |s2cid=190774873 |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref>
| notable_works = * ''Introduction to the Study of Musical Scales'' (1943)<ref>{{cite book |last=Daniélou |first=Alain |year=1943 |title=Introduction to the Study of Musical Scales |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.28938/mode/2up |url-access=limited |location=[[Varanasi|Bénarès]] |publisher=[[The India Society, London]] |isbn=0-8364-2353-4 |s2cid=190774873 |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref>
* ''The Myths and Gods of India: The Classic Work on Hindu Polytheism'' (1964)<ref>{{cite book |last=Daniélou |first=Alain |year=2017 |orig-year=1964 |title=The Myths and Gods of India: The Classic Work on Hindu Polytheism |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OIXtDwAAQBAJ |location=[[Delhi]] |publisher=[[Motilal Banarsidass]] |isbn=978-81-208-3638-9 |oclc=24247413 |s2cid=169604069}}</ref>
* ''The Myths and Gods of India: The Classic Work on Hindu Polytheism'' (1964)<ref>{{cite book |last=Daniélou |first=Alain |year=2017 |orig-year=1964 |title=The Myths and Gods of India: The Classic Work on Hindu Polytheism |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OIXtDwAAQBAJ |location=[[Delhi]] |publisher=[[Motilal Banarsidass]] |isbn=978-81-208-3638-9 |oclc=24247413 |s2cid=169604069}}</ref>
* ''Gods of Love and Ecstasy: The Traditions of Shiva and Dionysus'' (1979)<ref>{{cite book |last=Daniélou |first=Alain |year=1984 |orig-year=1979 |title=Gods of Love and Ecstasy: The Traditions of Shiva and Dionysus |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QDQK7l13WIIC |location=[[Rochester, Vermont]] |publisher=[[Inner Traditions]] |isbn=0-89281-374-1 |oclc=25281659 |s2cid=191033152}}</ref>
* ''Gods of Love and Ecstasy: The Traditions of Shiva and Dionysus'' (1979)<ref>{{cite book |last=Daniélou |first=Alain |year=1984 |orig-year=1979 |title=Gods of Love and Ecstasy: The Traditions of Shiva and Dionysus |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QDQK7l13WIIC |location=[[Rochester, Vermont]] |publisher=[[Inner Traditions]] |isbn=0-89281-374-1 |oclc=25281659 |s2cid=191033152}}</ref>
}}
}}


'''Alain Daniélou''' (4 October 1907 – 27 January 1994) was a [[French people|French]] [[historian]], [[intellectual]], [[musicologist]], [[Indologist]], and a noted Western [[Conversion to Hinduism|convert]] to and expert on [[Shaivism|Shaivite]] sect of [[Hinduism]].
'''Alain Daniélou''' ({{IPA|fr|danielu|lang}}; 4 October 1907 – 27 January 1994) was a French [[historian]], [[Indologist]], [[intellectual]], [[musicologist]], [[translator]], [[writer]] and Western [[Conversion to Hinduism|convert]] to and expert on the [[Shaivism|Shaivite]] branch of [[Hinduism]].<ref>{{cite book |author-last=Aldrich |author-first=Robert |year=2015 |chapter=Sojourners and the Seduction of Ceylon |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rY7ZBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA147 |title=Cultural Encounters and Homoeroticism in Sri Lanka: Sex and Serendipity |location=[[London]] and [[New York City|New York]] |publisher=[[Routledge]] |edition=1st |series=Routledge Studies in the Modern History of Asia |page=147 |isbn=9781138491502 |oclc=943053586}}</ref>


In 1991 he was awarded the [[List of Sangeet Natak Akademi fellows|Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship]], the highest honour conferred by [[Sangeet Natak Akademi]], India's National Academy for Music, Dance and Drama.<ref name=sna>{{cite web|url=http://sangeetnatak.gov.in/sna/fellowslist.htm |title=SNA: List of Sangeet Natak Akademi ''Ratna Puraskar''winners (Akademi Fellows) |publisher=SNA Official website |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304023617/http://sangeetnatak.gov.in/sna/fellowslist.htm |archive-date=March 4, 2016 }}</ref>
In 1991, he was awarded the [[List of Sangeet Natak Akademi fellows|Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship]], the highest honour conferred by [[Sangeet Natak Akademi]], India's National Academy for Music, Dance, and Drama.<ref name=sna>{{cite web|url=http://sangeetnatak.gov.in/sna/fellowslist.htm |title=SNA: List of Sangeet Natak Akademi ''Ratna Puraskar''winners (Akademi Fellows) |publisher=SNA Official website |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304023617/http://sangeetnatak.gov.in/sna/fellowslist.htm |archive-date=March 4, 2016 }}</ref>


==Early life and education==
==Early life and education==
His mother, Madeleine Clamorgan, was from an old family of the [[Normans|Norman]] nobility; a fervent [[Roman Catholic]],<ref name="LePoint"/><ref name="LeMonde"/><ref name="Boysson 2008"/> she founded schools and a religious order, the Order of Sainte-Marie,<ref name="Boysson 2008"/> for women teachers in civilian costume under the patronage of [[Francis Xavier|St. François-Xavier]]. His father, [[Charles Daniélou]], was an [[Anti-clericalism|anti-clerical]] [[Breton people|Breton]] politician who held numerous national ministerial posts in the [[French Third Republic|Third Republic]]. One of his brothers was the Roman Catholic [[prelate]] and [[Académie Française]] member, [[Jean Daniélou]].<ref name="LePoint"/><ref name="LeMonde"/><ref name="Boysson 2008"/><ref name=independent>{{cite news |last=Kirkup |first=James |author-link=James Kirkup |date=4 February 1994 |title=Obituary: Alain Daniélou |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-alain-danielou-1391815.html |work=[[The Independent]] |location=[[London]] |access-date=8 March 2021}}</ref>
His mother, Madeleine Clamorgan, was from an old family of the [[Normans|Norman]] [[French nobility|nobility]]; a fervent [[Roman Catholicism|Roman Catholic]],<ref name="LePoint"/><ref name="LeMonde"/><ref name="Boysson 2008"/> she founded schools and a [[Religious order (Catholic)|religious order]], the Order of Sainte-Marie,<ref name="Boysson 2008"/> for women teachers in civilian costume under the patronage of [[Francis Xavier|St. François-Xavier]]. His father, [[Charles Daniélou]], was an [[Anti-clericalism|anti-clerical]] [[Breton people|Breton]] politician who held numerous national ministerial posts in the [[French Third Republic|Third Republic]]. One of his brothers was the Roman Catholic [[prelate]] and [[Académie Française]] member, [[Jean Daniélou]].<ref name="LePoint"/><ref name="LeMonde"/><ref name="Boysson 2008"/><ref name=independent>{{cite news |last=Kirkup |first=James |author-link=James Kirkup |date=4 February 1994 |title=Obituary: Alain Daniélou |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-alain-danielou-1391815.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140408212754/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-alain-danielou-1391815.html |archive-date=2014-04-08 |url-access=limited |url-status=live |work=[[The Independent]] |location=[[London]] |access-date=8 March 2021}}</ref>


He received his education at the [[:fr:Institution Notre-Dame de Sainte-Croix|Institution Notre-Dame de Sainte-Croix]], [[Neuilly-sur-Seine]], and at [[St. John's College, Annapolis]].<ref name=independent/> The young Daniélou studied [[singing]] under the famous [[Charles Panzéra]], as well as [[Dance|classical dancing]] with [[Nicholas Legat]] (teacher of [[Vaslav Nijinsky]]), and composition with [[Max d'Ollone]]. Subsequently, he performed professionally on stage with dancers such as [[Floria Capsali]] and Marjorie Daw.<ref name=independent/> Growing up he rebelled against his mother's deep devotion to her faith, but his father remained a positive influence, which helped in developing his musical talent and in coping with his [[homosexuality]].<ref name="Boysson 2008"/> He studied [[piano]] and singing, learning the songs of Duparc and Chausson and the Lieder of Schumann and Schubert. He started writing poems, as acquired proficiency in English and other [[European languages]].<ref name=independent/>
He received his education at the [[Institution Notre-Dame de Sainte-Croix]], [[Neuilly-sur-Seine]], and at [[St. John's College, Annapolis]].<ref name=independent/> The young Daniélou studied [[singing]] under the famous [[Charles Panzéra]], as well as [[Dance|classical dancing]] with [[Nicholas Legat]] (teacher of [[Vaslav Nijinsky]]), and composition with [[Max d'Ollone]]. Subsequently, he performed professionally on stage with dancers such as [[Floria Capsali]] and Marjorie Daw.<ref name=independent/> Growing up, he rebelled against his mother's deep devotion to her faith, but his father remained a positive influence, which helped in developing his musical talent and in coping with his [[homosexuality]].<ref name="Boysson 2008"/> He studied [[piano]] and singing, learning the songs of Duparc and Chausson and the ''[[Song cycle|liederkreis]]'' of Schumann and Schubert. He started writing poems, as acquired proficiency in English and other [[European languages]].<ref name=independent/>


==Career==
==Career==


===India: 1932–1960===
===India: 1932–1960===
He and his partner, the Swiss photographer [[Raymond Burnier]],<ref name="LePoint"/> first went to India as part of an adventure trip, and they were fascinated with the art and culture of the nation. Daniélou and Burnier were among the first Westerners to visit India's famed [[Khajuraho Group of Monuments|erotic temples]] in the village of [[Khajuraho]] and Burnier's stunning photographs of the ancient temple complex launched the site internationally. The photographs were featured in an exhibition at the [[Metropolitan Museum of Art|New York's Metropolitan Museum]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metmuseum.org/pubs/bulletins/1/pdf/3257462.pdf.bannered.pdf |title=Medieval Indian Sculpture |access-date=2013-10-31}}</ref>
He and his partner, the Swiss photographer [[Raymond Burnier]],<ref name="LePoint"/> first went to India as part of an adventure trip, and they were fascinated with the [[Indian art|art]] and [[Culture of India|culture]] of the nation. Daniélou and Burnier were among the first Westerners to visit India's famed [[Khajuraho Group of Monuments|erotic Hindu temples]] in the village of [[Khajuraho]] and Burnier's stunning photographs of the ancient temple complex launched the site internationally. The photographs were featured in an exhibition at the [[Metropolitan Museum of Art|New York's Metropolitan Museum]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metmuseum.org/pubs/bulletins/1/pdf/3257462.pdf.bannered.pdf |title=Medieval Indian Sculpture |access-date=2013-10-31}}</ref>


In 1932, during his first trip to India, he met one of the great influences poet [[Rabindranath Tagore]].<ref name=independent/> His close association with Tagore lead him to become the director of Tagore's school of music at [[Shantiniketan]] (Visva-Bharati University).<ref name=hindu/> Subsequently, in 1935, he joined the [[Banaras Hindu University]], where he studied [[Hindu music]], [[Sanskrit|Sanskrit language]] and [[Sanskrit literature|literature]], [[Hindu philosophy]], and [[Hinduism|Hindu religion]] for the next 15 years. In 1949, he was appointed as a research professor at the University, a post he held until 1953; he also remained the director of the College of Indian Music. In Bénarès (now [[Varanasi]]), he lived in a mansion on the banks of the [[Ganges]], named ''Rewa Kothi''. During these years, he studied [[Indian classical music]] in Bénarès with Shivendranath Basu and played the [[veena]], a classical Indian instrument which he started playing professionally. He also studied [[Hindi]] and [[Sanskrit]] languages, as well as [[Indian philosophy]].
In 1932, during his first trip to India, he met one of the great influences poet [[Rabindranath Tagore]].<ref name=independent/> His close association with Tagore lead him to become the director of Tagore's school of music at [[Shantiniketan]] ([[Visva-Bharati University]]).<ref name=hindu/> Subsequently, in 1935, he joined the [[Banaras Hindu University]], where he studied [[Hindu music|Hindustani music]], [[Sanskrit|Sanskrit language]] and [[Sanskrit literature|literature]], [[Hindu philosophy]], and [[Hinduism|Hindu religion]] for the next 15 years of his life. In 1949, he was appointed as a research professor at the University, a post he held until 1953; he also remained the director of the College of Indian Music. In Bénarès (now [[Varanasi]]), he lived in a mansion on the banks of the [[Ganges]], named ''Rewa Kothi''. During these years, he studied [[Indian classical music]] in Bénarès with Shivendranath Basu and played the [[veena]], a classical Indian instrument which he started playing professionally. He also studied [[Hindi]] and [[Sanskrit]] languages, as well as [[Indian philosophy]].


His interest in the symbolism of [[Hindu architecture]] and sculpture lead him to long trips with Burnier to [[Khajuraho]], [[Bhubaneswar]], and [[Konark Sun Temple|Konarak]], sites in [[central India]] and [[Rajasthan]].<ref name=hindu>{{cite web | title = Visual flashback| url = http://www.hindu.com/mp/2004/07/19/stories/2004071901220300.htm| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20040909022138/http://www.hindu.com/mp/2004/07/19/stories/2004071901220300.htm| url-status = dead| archive-date = September 9, 2004|date= July 19, 2004| work = [[The Hindu]]| access-date = 2014-04-07}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = Snapshots of Indian culture|publisher=The Telegraph| url = http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090319/jsp/calcutta/story_10684180.jsp |date=March 19, 2009|access-date = 2014-04-07 }}</ref> He also translated some works of [[Swami Karpatri]], the ''[[Samnyasa|samnyasin]]'' by whom he was initiated into [[Shaivism]] under the Hindu name ''Shiva Sharan'' ("Protected by Shiva").<ref name=independent/><ref>Rama, Swami (1999) Himalayan Institute, ''Living With the Himalayan Masters'', page 247.</ref> In 1942, he published his translation of the [[Tirukkural]], a Tamil moral literature.<ref>{{cite book | last = Sanjeevi | first = N. | title = ''Bibliography on Tirukkural''. ''In'' First All India Tirukkural Seminar Papers | publisher = University of Madras | date = 1973 | location = Chennai | pages = 146 }}</ref>
His interest in the symbolism of [[Hindu architecture]] and sculpture lead him to long trips with Burnier to [[Khajuraho]], [[Bhubaneswar]], and [[Konark Sun Temple|Konarak]], sites located in [[central India]] and [[Rajasthan]].<ref name=hindu>{{cite web | title = Visual flashback| url = http://www.hindu.com/mp/2004/07/19/stories/2004071901220300.htm| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20040909022138/http://www.hindu.com/mp/2004/07/19/stories/2004071901220300.htm| url-status = dead| archive-date = September 9, 2004|date= July 19, 2004| work = [[The Hindu]]| access-date = 2014-04-07}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = Snapshots of Indian culture|publisher=The Telegraph| url = http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090319/jsp/calcutta/story_10684180.jsp | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090323111608/http://telegraphindia.com/1090319/jsp/calcutta/story_10684180.jsp | url-status = dead | archive-date = 23 March 2009 |date=March 19, 2009|access-date = 2014-04-07 }}</ref> He also translated some works of [[Swami Karpatri]], the ''[[Samnyasa|samnyasin]]'' by whom he was initiated into [[Shaivism]] under the Hindu name ''Shiva Sharan'' ("Protected by Shiva").<ref name=independent/><ref>Rama, Swami (1999) Himalayan Institute, ''Living With the Himalayan Masters'', page 247.</ref> In 1942, he published his translation of the [[Tirukkural]], a Tamil moral literature.<ref>{{cite book | last = Sanjeevi | first = N. | title = ''Bibliography on Tirukkural''. ''In'' First All India Tirukkural Seminar Papers | publisher = University of Madras | date = 1973 | location = Chennai | pages = 146 }}</ref>


In 1953, he joined the [[Adyar Library|Adyar Library and Research Centre]] at the [[Theosophical Society Adyar]] near Madras (now [[Chennai]]), where he was the director of a centre of research into [[Sanskrit literature]] until 1956. In 1959, he became a member of [[French Institute of Pondicherry]], which works in the field of [[Indology]].<ref name=independent/>
In 1953, he joined the [[Adyar Library|Adyar Library and Research Centre]] at the [[Theosophical Society Adyar]] near Madras (now [[Chennai]]), where he was the director of a centre of research into [[Sanskrit literature]] until 1956. In 1959, he became a member of [[French Institute of Pondicherry]], which works in the field of [[Indology]].<ref name=independent/>
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==Awards and recognition==
==Awards and recognition==
He was an Officer of the [[Légion d'Honneur]], an Officer of the [[Ordre National du Mérite]], and [[Commandeurs of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres|Commander of Arts and Letters]]. He was the director of the [[UNESCO Collection]] series, a series of recordings of traditional [[world music]]. In 1981, he received the UNESCO/CIM prize for music, and, in 1987 the Kathmandu Medal from [[UNESCO]].
Daniélou was an Officer of the [[Légion d'Honneur]], an Officer of the [[Ordre National du Mérite]], and [[Commandeurs of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres|Commander of Arts and Letters]]. He was the director of the [[UNESCO Collection]] series, a series of recordings of traditional [[world music]]. In 1981, Daniélou received the UNESCO/CIM prize for music, and, in 1987 the Kathmandu Medal from [[UNESCO]].


==Legacy==
==Legacy==
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== Works ==
== Works ==
* ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=6pRe5Ta1W1YC While the Gods play, Shaiva Oracles and Predictions on the Cycles of History and Destiny of Mankind]'' ({{lang-fr|La Fantaisie des Dieux et L'Aventure Humaine}}, 1985)
* ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=6pRe5Ta1W1YC While the Gods play, Shaiva Oracles and Predictions on the Cycles of History and Destiny of Mankind]'' ({{langx|fr|La Fantaisie des Dieux et L'Aventure Humaine}}, 1985)
* ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=QDQK7l13WIIC Gods of Love and Ecstasy, The Tradition of Shiva & Dionysus, Omnipresent Gods of Transcendence]''
* ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=QDQK7l13WIIC Gods of Love and Ecstasy, The Tradition of Shiva & Dionysus, Omnipresent Gods of Transcendence]''
* ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=09qUXlCkyVIC The Hindu Temple; Deification of Eroticism]''
* ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=09qUXlCkyVIC The Hindu Temple; Deification of Eroticism]''
* ''[https://books.google.fr/books/about/Music_and_the_Power_of_Sound.html?id=J61zQgAACAAJ Music and the Power of Sound]''
* ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=J61zQgAACAAJ Music and the Power of Sound]''
* ''[https://books.google.fr/books?id=xlwoDwAAQBAJ A Brief History of India]''published by [[Inner Traditions]]
* ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=xlwoDwAAQBAJ A Brief History of India]''published by [[Inner Traditions]]
* ''[https://books.google.fr/books?id=vvhKXwAACAAJ The complete Kâma Sûtra]'' The first unabridged translation.
* ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=vvhKXwAACAAJ The complete Kâma Sûtra]'' The first unabridged translation.
* ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=IMSngEmfdS0C Virtue, success, pleasure & liberation: the four aims of life in the tradition of ancient India]''
* ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=IMSngEmfdS0C Virtue, success, pleasure & liberation: the four aims of life in the tradition of ancient India]''
* ''Ragas of North Indian Classical Music''
* ''Ragas of North Indian Classical Music''
* ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=GCOewSVrf2sC The Way to the Labyrinth: An Autobiography]'' published by [[New Directions Publishing|New Directions]].
* ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=GCOewSVrf2sC The Way to the Labyrinth: An Autobiography]'' published by [[New Directions Publishing|New Directions]].
* ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=1HMXN9h6WX0C The Myths and Gods of India, Hindu Polytheism]''
* ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=1HMXN9h6WX0C The Myths and Gods of India, Hindu Polytheism]''
* ''[https://books.google.fr/books?id=NeHwPQAACAAJ Yoga: the Method of Reintegration]''
* ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=NeHwPQAACAAJ Yoga: the Method of Reintegration]''
* ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=n7XOnIkBQ0QC Yoga, Mastering the Secrets of Matter and the Universe]''
* ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=n7XOnIkBQ0QC Yoga, Mastering the Secrets of Matter and the Universe]''
* ''[https://books.google.fr/books?id=6p8dAQAAIAAJ Fools of God]''
* ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=6p8dAQAAIAAJ Fools of God]''
* ''Song-poems - Rabindranath Tagore, Texts in English, French and Bengali & Melodies''
* ''Song-poems - Rabindranath Tagore, Texts in English, French and Bengali & Melodies''
* ''The Congress of the World With miniatures of tantric cosmology''
* ''The Congress of the World With miniatures of tantric cosmology''
* ''[https://books.google.fr/books?id=Ez8YAQAAIAAJ Sacred Music, its Origins, Powers and Future, Traditional Music in Today's World]''
* ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=Ez8YAQAAIAAJ Sacred Music, its Origins, Powers and Future, Traditional Music in Today's World]''
* ''[https://books.google.fr/books?id=aTguAAAAMAAJ The Situation Of Music And Musicians In The Countries Of The Orient]''
* ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=aTguAAAAMAAJ The Situation Of Music And Musicians In The Countries Of The Orient]''
* ''[https://books.google.fr/books?id=4OBguwEACAAJ Introduction to The Study of Musical Scales]''
* ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=4OBguwEACAAJ Introduction to The Study of Musical Scales]''
* ''Northern Indian Music: Vol. One, Theory, History and Technique''
* ''Northern Indian Music: Vol. One, Theory, History and Technique''
* ''Northern Indian Music: Vol. Two, The Main Ragas''
* ''Northern Indian Music: Vol. Two, The Main Ragas''
* ''[https://books.google.fr/books?id=mFwoDwAAQBAJ The Phallus, Sacred Symbol of Male Creative Power]''
* ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=mFwoDwAAQBAJ The Phallus, Sacred Symbol of Male Creative Power]''
* ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=Ua6yuxBPQdQC India, a civilization of differences: the ancient tradition of universal tolerance]''
* ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=Ua6yuxBPQdQC India, a civilization of differences: the ancient tradition of universal tolerance]''
* ''[https://books.google.fr/books?id=VlwoDwAAQBAJ Shiva And The Primordial Tradition: From the Tantras to the Science of Dreams]''
* ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=VlwoDwAAQBAJ Shiva And The Primordial Tradition: From the Tantras to the Science of Dreams]''
* ''[https://books.google.fr/books?id=wl7T45yhh1sC Manimekhalaï, The Dancer With The Magic Bowl]'' Translation by Alain Daniélou
* ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=wl7T45yhh1sC Manimekhalaï, The Dancer With The Magic Bowl]'' Translation by Alain Daniélou
* ''Shilappadikâram, The Ankle Bracelet''
* ''Shilappadikâram, The Ankle Bracelet''
* ''[https://books.google.fr/books?id=Ez8YAQAAIAAJ Sacred Music, Its Origins, Powers And Future]''
* ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=Ez8YAQAAIAAJ Sacred Music, Its Origins, Powers And Future]''
* ''A Descriptive Catalogue Of Sanskrit Manuscripts in Alain Daniélou’s Collection at the Giorgio Cini Foundation''
* ''A Descriptive Catalogue Of Sanskrit Manuscripts in Alain Daniélou's Collection at the Giorgio Cini Foundation''


== Discography ==
== Discography ==
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* ''[[Musical Sources]] (Philips, Holland)''
* ''[[Musical Sources]] (Philips, Holland)''
* ''Anthology of North Indian Classical Music - (Bärenreiter-Musicaphon, Kassel)''
* ''Anthology of North Indian Classical Music - (Bärenreiter-Musicaphon, Kassel)''
== Filmography ==
* 2023: ''Alain Daniélou, l'esprit libre'', a documentary by [[:fr:Joël Farges]], Kolam, 77', ISAN 0000-0006-EA8A-0000-F-0000-0000-T.
* 2017: ''Alain Daniélou - The Way to the Labyrinth'', a documentary by Riccardo Biadene, KAMA Productions.


== See also ==
== See also ==
 
{{Portal|France|Hinduism|India|Literature|Music|Poetry|Tamils}}
* [[Tirukkural translations]]
* [[Michel Danino]]
* [[Jean Filliozat]]
* [[Francois Gautier]]
* [[Louis Renou]]
* [[Tirukkural translations into French]]
* [[Tirukkural translations into French]]
* [[List of translators]]
*[[Francois Gautier]]
*[[Michel Danino]]
*[[Jean Filliozat]]
*[[Louis Renou]]
*[[Matriarchy]]


==References==
==References==
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{{SangeetNatakAkademiFellowship}}
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{{Modern Hindu writers}}
 
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{{Tirukkural}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}
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[[Category:20th-century French historians]]
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[[Category:20th-century French philosophers]]
[[Category:20th-century French translators]]
[[Category:20th-century French translators]]
[[Category:20th-century French musicologists]]
[[Category:20th-century Hindu philosophers and theologians]]
[[Category:Banaras Hindu University faculty]]
[[Category:Academic staff of Banaras Hindu University]]
[[Category:Breton people]]
[[Category:Breton musicians]]
[[Category:Commandeurs of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres]]
[[Category:Commandeurs of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres]]
[[Category:Converts to Hinduism from Christianity]]
[[Category:Converts to Hinduism from Christianity]]
[[Category:Former Roman Catholics]]
[[Category:French expatriates in India]]
[[Category:French expatriates in India]]
[[Category:French expatriates in Switzerland]]
[[Category:French expatriates in Switzerland]]
[[Category:French former Christians]]
[[Category:French former Christians]]
[[Category:French gay writers]]
[[Category:French Hindus]]
[[Category:French Hindus]]
[[Category:French historians of philosophy]]
[[Category:French historians of philosophy]]
[[Category:French historians of religion]]
[[Category:French historians of religion]]
[[Category:French Indologists]]
[[Category:French Indologists]]
[[Category:French male writers]]
[[Category:Hindu studies scholars]]
[[Category:20th-century Hindu philosophers and theologians]]
[[Category:Historians of India]]
[[Category:Historians of South Asia]]
[[Category:Indian musicologists]]
[[Category:Indian musicologists]]
[[Category:LGBT Hindus]]
[[Category:LGBTQ Hindus]]
[[Category:French gay writers]]
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[[Category:Matriarchy]]
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[[Category:People from Neuilly-sur-Seine]]
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[[Category:French recipients of the Legion of Honour]]
[[Category:Recipients of the National Order of Merit (France)]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Ordre national du Mérite]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship]]
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[[Category:Shaivites]]
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[[Category:Tamil–French translators]]
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[[Category:Tirukkural translators]]
[[Category:Translators of the Tirukkural into French]]
[[Category:Translators of the Tirukkural into French]]
[[Category:Visva-Bharati University faculty]]
[[Category:Academic staff of Visva-Bharati University]]
[[Category:Winners of the Prix Broquette-Gonin (literature)]]
[[Category:Winners of the Prix Broquette-Gonin (literature)]]

Latest revision as of 23:00, 7 January 2026


Alain Daniélou
Alain Daniélou
Alain Daniélou playing the piano
Born(1907-10-04)4 October 1907
Neuilly-sur-Seine, France
Died27 January 1994(1994-01-27) (aged 86)
Lonay, Switzerland
OccupationHistorian, Indologist, musicologist, translator, writer
SubjectCulture of India, Hindu studies, Indian classical music, Indian philosophy, Shaivite Hinduism
Notable works
  • Introduction to the Study of Musical Scales (1943)[1]
  • The Myths and Gods of India: The Classic Work on Hindu Polytheism (1964)[2]
  • Gods of Love and Ecstasy: The Traditions of Shiva and Dionysus (1979)[3]
PartnerRaymond Burnier[4]
RelativesJean Daniélou[4][5][6]
Website
www.alaindanielou.org

Alain Daniélou (fr; 4 October 1907 – 27 January 1994) was a French historian, Indologist, intellectual, musicologist, translator, writer and Western convert to and expert on the Shaivite branch of Hinduism.[7]

In 1991, he was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship, the highest honour conferred by Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy for Music, Dance, and Drama.[8]

Early life and education[edit | edit source]

His mother, Madeleine Clamorgan, was from an old family of the Norman nobility; a fervent Roman Catholic,[4][5][6] she founded schools and a religious order, the Order of Sainte-Marie,[6] for women teachers in civilian costume under the patronage of St. François-Xavier. His father, Charles Daniélou, was an anti-clerical Breton politician who held numerous national ministerial posts in the Third Republic. One of his brothers was the Roman Catholic prelate and Académie Française member, Jean Daniélou.[4][5][6][9]

He received his education at the Institution Notre-Dame de Sainte-Croix, Neuilly-sur-Seine, and at St. John's College, Annapolis.[9] The young Daniélou studied singing under the famous Charles Panzéra, as well as classical dancing with Nicholas Legat (teacher of Vaslav Nijinsky), and composition with Max d'Ollone. Subsequently, he performed professionally on stage with dancers such as Floria Capsali and Marjorie Daw.[9] Growing up, he rebelled against his mother's deep devotion to her faith, but his father remained a positive influence, which helped in developing his musical talent and in coping with his homosexuality.[6] He studied piano and singing, learning the songs of Duparc and Chausson and the liederkreis of Schumann and Schubert. He started writing poems, as acquired proficiency in English and other European languages.[9]

Career[edit | edit source]

India: 1932–1960[edit | edit source]

He and his partner, the Swiss photographer Raymond Burnier,[4] first went to India as part of an adventure trip, and they were fascinated with the art and culture of the nation. Daniélou and Burnier were among the first Westerners to visit India's famed erotic Hindu temples in the village of Khajuraho and Burnier's stunning photographs of the ancient temple complex launched the site internationally. The photographs were featured in an exhibition at the New York's Metropolitan Museum.[10]

In 1932, during his first trip to India, he met one of the great influences poet Rabindranath Tagore.[9] His close association with Tagore lead him to become the director of Tagore's school of music at Shantiniketan (Visva-Bharati University).[11] Subsequently, in 1935, he joined the Banaras Hindu University, where he studied Hindustani music, Sanskrit language and literature, Hindu philosophy, and Hindu religion for the next 15 years of his life. In 1949, he was appointed as a research professor at the University, a post he held until 1953; he also remained the director of the College of Indian Music. In Bénarès (now Varanasi), he lived in a mansion on the banks of the Ganges, named Rewa Kothi. During these years, he studied Indian classical music in Bénarès with Shivendranath Basu and played the veena, a classical Indian instrument which he started playing professionally. He also studied Hindi and Sanskrit languages, as well as Indian philosophy.

His interest in the symbolism of Hindu architecture and sculpture lead him to long trips with Burnier to Khajuraho, Bhubaneswar, and Konarak, sites located in central India and Rajasthan.[11][12] He also translated some works of Swami Karpatri, the samnyasin by whom he was initiated into Shaivism under the Hindu name Shiva Sharan ("Protected by Shiva").[9][13] In 1942, he published his translation of the Tirukkural, a Tamil moral literature.[14]

In 1953, he joined the Adyar Library and Research Centre at the Theosophical Society Adyar near Madras (now Chennai), where he was the director of a centre of research into Sanskrit literature until 1956. In 1959, he became a member of French Institute of Pondicherry, which works in the field of Indology.[9]

Europe: 1960 onwards[edit | edit source]

Upon his return to Europe in 1960, he was appointed an advisor to the UNESCO's International Music Council, which led to a number of recordings of traditional music such as Unesco Collection: A Musical Anthology of the Orient, Musical Atlas, Musical Sources, and Anthology of Indian Classical Music - A Tribute to Alain Daniélou. In 1963, he became the founder and director of the International Institute for Comparative Music Studies and Documentation (IICMSD) in West Berlin, where he remained till 1977; he was also the director of the Istituto Internazionale di Musica Comparata (IISMC) in Venice from 1969 to 1979.[9]

He worked on Indian classical music. But his more important contribution to Indology is his writings on the ancient wisdom of the Vedas, Hindu philosophy, and Shaivism.[citation needed]

He is the author of over thirty books on Indian music and culture. He received several awards for his work on music. He was also a photographer and artist.[citation needed]

Awards and recognition[edit | edit source]

Daniélou was an Officer of the Légion d'Honneur, an Officer of the Ordre National du Mérite, and Commander of Arts and Letters. He was the director of the UNESCO Collection series, a series of recordings of traditional world music. In 1981, Daniélou received the UNESCO/CIM prize for music, and, in 1987 the Kathmandu Medal from UNESCO.

Legacy[edit | edit source]

In 2004, to mark his tenth death anniversary a photo exhibition, "India through the eyes of Alain Danielou (1935-1955)" was hosted at the Alliance Française, Hyderabad.[11]

Works[edit | edit source]

Discography[edit | edit source]

Filmography[edit | edit source]

  • 2023: Alain Daniélou, l'esprit libre, a documentary by fr:Joël Farges, Kolam, 77', ISAN 0000-0006-EA8A-0000-F-0000-0000-T.
  • 2017: Alain Daniélou - The Way to the Labyrinth, a documentary by Riccardo Biadene, KAMA Productions.

See also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Daniélou, Alain (1943). Introduction to the Study of Musical Scales. Bénarès: The India Society, London. ISBN 0-8364-2353-4. S2CID 190774873 – via Internet Archive.
  2. ↑ Daniélou, Alain (2017) [1964]. The Myths and Gods of India: The Classic Work on Hindu Polytheism. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 978-81-208-3638-9. OCLC 24247413. S2CID 169604069.
  3. ↑ Daniélou, Alain (1984) [1979]. Gods of Love and Ecstasy: The Traditions of Shiva and Dionysus. Rochester, Vermont: Inner Traditions. ISBN 0-89281-374-1. OCLC 25281659. S2CID 191033152.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Golliau, Catherine (28 June 2010). "L'affaire Daniélou". Le Point (in français). Paris. Archived from the original on 15 May 2012. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Catinchi, Philippe-Jean (8 September 2010). ""L'Hindouisme traditionnel et l'interprétation d'Alain Daniélou", de Jean-Louis Gabin: Alain Daniélou, revu et corrigé". Le Monde (in français). Paris. Archived from the original on 9 September 2010. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 de Boysson, Emmanuelle (2008). Le cardinal et l'hindouiste: Le mystère des frères Daniélou. Petite Renaissance. Spiritualité (in français). Paris: Presses de la Renaissance. ISBN 9782750904234.
  7. ↑ Aldrich, Robert (2015). "Sojourners and the Seduction of Ceylon". Cultural Encounters and Homoeroticism in Sri Lanka: Sex and Serendipity. Routledge Studies in the Modern History of Asia (1st ed.). London and New York: Routledge. p. 147. ISBN 9781138491502. OCLC 943053586.
  8. ↑ "SNA: List of Sangeet Natak Akademi Ratna Puraskarwinners (Akademi Fellows)". SNA Official website. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 9.7 Kirkup, James (4 February 1994). "Obituary: Alain Daniélou". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 8 April 2014. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  10. ↑ "Medieval Indian Sculpture" (PDF). Retrieved 31 October 2013.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 "Visual flashback". The Hindu. 19 July 2004. Archived from the original on 9 September 2004. Retrieved 7 April 2014.
  12. ↑ "Snapshots of Indian culture". The Telegraph. 19 March 2009. Archived from the original on 23 March 2009. Retrieved 7 April 2014.
  13. ↑ Rama, Swami (1999) Himalayan Institute, Living With the Himalayan Masters, page 247.
  14. ↑ Sanjeevi, N. (1973). Bibliography on Tirukkural. In First All India Tirukkural Seminar Papers. Chennai: University of Madras. p. 146.

External links[edit | edit source]

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