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Savitri Devi Mukherji Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 14, 2026 • 4 min read

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Quick Info

Date of birth30 September 1905

Age77 (at death)

BirthplaceLyon, France

ProfessionWriter; animal rights activist; neo‑Nazi activist

NationalityFrance (1905–1928; renounced); Greece (1928–1982)

Marital statusWidowed

SpouseAsit Krishna Mukherji

Savitri Devi Mukherji Biography

French-born intellectual who adopted Hinduism, taught in India, wrote widely on religion, animal rights and politics, and became a controversial figure for

Early life and background

Savitri Devi Mukherji was born Maximiani Julia Portas on 30 September 1905 in Lyon, France. Raised in a multilingual household, she later adopted the name Savitri Devi at the suggestion of students; the name is Sanskrit in origin. Her parents were Maxim Portas and Julia Portas. From an early age she showed strong interests in religion, animals and culture: family accounts note early encounters with Hindu art and an enduring concern for animal welfare that informed choices she made as a child and throughout her life.

Education

Savitri Devi completed advanced studies in France. She earned a superior diploma in 1923 that qualified her for graduate work, a master’s degree in philosophy in 1924, a Master of Science in chemistry in 1929, and a PhD in liberal arts in 1935 from the University of Lyon.

Conversion and life in India

She converted to Hinduism in 1932 and lived in India from 1932 to 1945. During her years there she taught English and Indian history at Jallandhar College near New Delhi and undertook extended pilgrimages, including walks from Hardiwar to Gangotri and trips to Amarnath. In the mid-1930s she became involved with the Hindu Mission movement and lectured on popular Hinduism in regions such as Bengal, Bihar and Assam. Her time in India also brought contact with political figures of the period; she claimed to have helped Subhas Chandra Bose in communications with Japanese authorities connected to efforts around the Indian National Army.

Career and writings

Savitri Devi combined teaching with prolific writing across several subjects. Her published works include A Son of God: The Life and Philosophy of Akhnaton, King of Egypt (1946); Gold in the Furnace (1952); Forever and Ever: Devotional Poems (written 1952–53, published 2012); and The Lightning and the Sun (1958). She also authored works on ecology and animal protection, including The Impeachment of Man (1959), and earlier titles such as The Non-Hindu Indians and Indian Unity and L’Etang aux lotus (both 1940). Her writings addressed religion, history, animal rights and political themes.

Beliefs and activism

Throughout her life Savitri Devi combined fervent religious views with strong advocacy for animals. She was a lifelong vegetarian and opposed practices she considered cruel to animals, speaking out against vivisection, slaughter, circuses and the fur trade. Her political views were explicit and controversial; she is noted for promoting an interpretation of history and religion that placed a central role on figures she regarded as transformative. Her works and correspondence connected her with individuals and groups in Europe and North America who shared extreme nationalist and neo-Nazi convictions.

Personal life

She married Asit Krishna Mukherji, an Indian astrologer and publisher of pro‑Axis journals, on 9 June 1939. At the time of her death she was widowed. Savitri Devi was a lifelong non‑drinker and kept many cats throughout her life; accounts describe her living alone with animals in later years.

Health and later years

Savitri Devi experienced recurrent health problems in later life, including elephantiasis, which caused repeated attacks and left her partially paralysed on one side by 1981. She developed cataracts and received treatment in India. In 1945 she made an unsuccessful suicide attempt. After retiring from teaching in 1970 she spent extended periods in Europe and India, and maintained contact with like‑minded activists abroad.

Public profile

Fluent in multiple languages, she was an active correspondent and visitor among nationalist and neo‑Nazi networks in Europe and the United States. She met and exchanged ideas with figures such as Einar Åberg, Colin Jordan, George Lincoln Rockwell and others. Her association with these circles, and particularly her writings that applied religious and historical interpretation to modern political movements, established her as a controversial public figure.

Death and legacy

Savitri Devi died on 22 October 1982 in Sible Hedingham, Essex, United Kingdom, at the age of 77. The causes given for her death were a heart attack and coronary thrombosis. After her death, her ashes were sent to the headquarters of the American Nazi Party in Arlington, Virginia, where they were placed alongside those of George Lincoln Rockwell.

Latest updates

No works or events later than the posthumous publication of previously written devotional poems in 2012 are recorded here. Her books and the network of correspondents she maintained continue to be the main elements shaping her public memory.

Editorial Review and Sources

This F4U profile is written from publicly available career and profile information, then reviewed for clarity before publication. If you spot an outdated detail about Savitri Devi Mukherji, send the page URL and a reliable correction source to f4udotin@gmail.com.

Reference context: StarsUnfolded

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Career Highlights

  1. Converted to Hinduism in 1932 and lived in India from 1932–1945
  2. Taught English and Indian history at Jallandhar College
  3. Authored major works including The Lightning and the Sun (1958) and The Impeachment of Man (1959)
  4. Fluent in more than eight languages and active in international networks of nationalist and neo‑Nazi figures
Reviewed by F4U Editorial Desk

F4U profile pages are prepared from public career information, checked for readability, and updated when reliable correction sources are shared with the editorial team.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Savitri Devi Mukherji born?

Savitri Devi Mukherji was born on 30 September 1905.

What is Savitri Devi Mukherji known for?

Savitri Devi Mukherji is known for writer; animal rights activist; neo‑Nazi activist.

What is Savitri Devi Mukherji’s marital status?

Savitri Devi Mukherji's marital status is listed as Widowed.

Who is Savitri Devi Mukherji married to?

Savitri Devi Mukherji is publicly listed as married to Asit Krishna Mukherji.