Neem Karoli Baba

Early Life

Neem Karoli Baba was born Lakshman Narayan Sharma to a Brahmin family, traditionally dated to around 1900, in the village of Akbarpur in Uttar Pradesh. Little is documented of his early life beyond devotee accounts, which describe him leaving home as a teenager to pursue an ascetic wandering life before eventually resuming that path as a sadhu after a period of settled family life.

The Name "Neem Karoli"

According to accounts passed down by devotees, the name by which he became known derives from an incident in the village of Neeb Karori (also transliterated Neem Karoli), near Farrukhabad, Uttar Pradesh: he is said to have been removed from a train for traveling without a ticket, after which the train would not move again until he was reinstated in his carriage. Whatever its historicity, the story circulated widely among followers, and the place-name attached itself permanently to the saint, who came to be addressed by devotees simply as Maharaj-ji, an honorific for a revered teacher.

Teachings: Hanuman and Bhakti Yoga

Neem Karoli Baba's devotion centered on Hanuman, the deity celebrated in the Ramayana for his loyalty and selfless service to Rama. He encouraged followers toward bhakti yoga, the path of devotion, teaching that love of God is best expressed through seva (selfless service) to other people, humility, and recognition of the divine in all beings, rather than through elaborate ritual or doctrine. He left no written scripture; his teaching survives mainly through the recollections and writings of his disciples.

Kainchi Dham and Other Ashrams

In 1964, Neem Karoli Baba established an ashram at Kainchi, in the Bhowali area of Nainital district in the Kumaon Himalayas, built around a temple to Hanuman. The name Kainchi ("scissors") refers to the two sharp hairpin bends the road makes at the site. The location, a wooded valley beside a mountain stream, became the center of his following and remains the movement's principal pilgrimage site. Ashrams associated with him were also established at Kakrighat and Bhumiadhar in the Kumaon hills, at Vrindavan and Hanumangarhi in Uttar Pradesh, at Rishikesh, and in Delhi; a further ashram was later founded in Taos, New Mexico, by American devotees. Kainchi Dham hosts an annual Bhandara, a communal feast and gathering, on June 15 to mark the ashram's founding, drawing large numbers of pilgrims each year. Daily life at the ashrams follows a routine of aarti, kirtan, and annadanam (free communal meals offered to all visitors regardless of background), reflecting Neem Karoli Baba's own emphasis on service over ritual formality.

Devotee accounts collected after his death, most notably in the compilation Miracle of Love: Stories About Neem Karoli Baba (1979), edited by Ram Dass, describe numerous episodes attributed to him involving apparent clairvoyance and healing; such accounts belong to the hagiographic tradition surrounding the saint and are not independently verifiable, though they have been central to how his following understands him. Some devotees regard him as an avatar, or living embodiment, of Hanuman himself, consistent with his lifelong identification with that deity.

Western Disciples and Influence

In the 1960s and early 1970s, a number of Western spiritual seekers traveling through India encountered Neem Karoli Baba, and several became influential in transmitting his teachings, and Hindu devotional practice more broadly, in the West. Richard Alpert, a former Harvard psychology professor who had earlier experimented with psychedelics alongside Timothy Leary, met him in 1967 and took the name Ram Dass; his 1971 book Be Here Now became a bestseller that introduced many Western readers to Indian spirituality. The American kirtan musician Krishna Das (Jeffrey Kagel) was likewise a direct disciple. Technology entrepreneur Steve Jobs traveled to India in 1974 specifically hoping to meet Neem Karoli Baba, arriving several months after his death; the visit to the by-then-closed ashram is recounted in Jobs's authorized biography. Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg has spoken publicly about visiting Kainchi Dham in the period before Facebook introduced its News Feed feature.

Death and Legacy

Neem Karoli Baba died on September 11, 1973, in Vrindavan. His ashrams continue to function under the care of trustees and devotees, and Kainchi Dham remains an active pilgrimage destination for Indian and international visitors, sustaining the daily rhythm of aarti, scripture recitation, and communal service that characterized the ashram during his lifetime.