The famous Neem Karoli Baba—Wiki, Bio, Early Life, Spiritual Journey, Miracles & Death

Neem Karori Baba, also known as Neeb Karori Baba, was a Hindu guru and a follower of Hanuman. He has a large following that extends outside India and is also referred by his devotees as "Maharaj-ji."  Being a lifetime practitioner of bhakti yoga, Neem Karoli Baba believed that the purest form of unwavering devotion to God was service to others, or seva.

Baba used to say that attachment and ego are the greatest barriers to get connected God, and that a learned person and a fool are the same as long as attachment and ego exist in the physical body. He would advise people to place all of their love and confidence in God before everything else in order to be free from pointless worries in life.

As many are curious about this famous Indian saint, so today we will share with you a few details on the life and teachings of Neem Karori Baba, as well as his spiritual journey, miracles, and early life. So, let’s get started….

Who is Neem Karoli Baba?

Neem Karoli Baba was a prominent Indian saint and spiritual leader in the 20th century. These are some key points about him to describe his overall life:

- Birth: In the village of Akbarpur in the Firozabad district of Uttar Pradesh, India, on January 1, 1900, Lakshman Narayan Sharma was born.

- Early Life: He was raised in a prosperous Brahmin household and married at the age of eleven. However, at the age of seventeen, he gave up the world and became an ascetic known as a sadhu.

- Spiritual Journey: He made a lot of trips across India, stopping at different spiritual locations and getting to know a lot of saints and spiritual authorities.

- Teachings: He placed a strong emphasis on the value of compassion, love, and human service. He was also an environmentalist and an animal welfare activist.

- Ashram: He founded a number of ashrams across India, the most important of which is the Kainchi Dham Ashram in Uttarakhand.

- Disciples: He attracted a large following of followers to his teachings and spiritual activities, among them were a number of Westerners.

- Miracles: His reputation for performing miracles and possessing supernatural abilities drew a large number of followers to his ashrams.

- Death: He died on September 11, 1973, at the age of 73, yet millions of people all over the world are still motivated and guided by his legacy.

How he got the name “Neem Karoli Baba”?

In the Farrukhabad region of Uttar Pradesh, Baba Lakshman Das boarded a train without a ticket and was compelled to get off by the conductor in the village of Neem Karoli. After several efforts, the train would not restart. The conductor was then advised by someone to allow the sadhu to board the train once more. Baba Neem Karoli would only come on board under two conditions, if the railway department improved its treatment of ascetics and the railway company construct a station in the village of Neem Karoli.

Remarkably, the train started as soon as he boarded the train after the officials promised to fulfil his requests. With Baba's approval, the train set off. Later, the village of Neem Karoli saw the construction of a train station. Then, out of love and respect, the people gave him the name Neem Karoli Baba.

Notable Disciples Of Neem Karoli Baba

In the 1960s and 1970s, a lot of Americans came to India specifically to meet him and receive some teachings from the spiritual master. The most well-known among their numerous international followers are the musicians Krishna Das and Jai Uttal, as well as Ram Dass and Bhagavan Das.

Other well-known followers of Neem Karoli Baba include the scholar and author Yvette Rosser, the American spiritual leader Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati, Dada Mukerjee, John Bush, the filmmaker Daniel Goleman, and the humanitarian couple Larry Brilliant and Girija.

In April 1974, Apple creator Steve Jobs along with his buddy Dan Kottke, also paid a visit to the Ashram to meet Neem Karoli Baba. However, Baba had passed away before he arrived, so he was unable to meet him personally. Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook also stated in an interview that Steve Jobs had suggested him to visit the ashram of Neem Karoli Baba (Maharajji). Consequently, during the company's difficult times in 2015, Zuckerberg also paid a visit to Baba Neem Karoli's ashram in Kainchi. Google co-founder Larry Page and eBay co-founder Jeffrey Skoll also paid their visit to the pilgrimage.

Kainchi Dham Ashram

The Kainchi Dham Ashram was constructed in 1964 and features a shrine dedicated to Lord Hanuman. It all began with a little platform constructed so that Premi Baba and Sombari Maharaj, two local sadhus, could conduct yagnas. The temple grew in significance as a global hub for spiritual seekers and locals alike over time. Neem Karoli Baba is said to have spent the final ten years of his life in this ashram. 

The temple is located on the Nainital-Almora route, 17 kilometers from Nainital. For locals as well as spiritual seekers and devotees around the world, it has grown to be a significant pilgrimage destination. Every year on June 15, the Kainchi Dham Bhandara is held to honor the temple's opening. Over 100,000 devotees usually attend this ceremony.