Neem Karoli Baba, a popular spiritual figure in India who is also known as Neeb Karori Baba.
His ashram came to the attention of people worldwide when stories about his ashram were reported about technology pioneers Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg visiting it.
Neem Karoli Baba, who was known to followers as the “Hanuman Ansh” someone connected to Lord Hanuman’s divine power and always known for his love of people and his service to others by his followers, was born Lakshmi Narayan Sharma in Uttar Pradesh.
His best-known spiritual centre is the Kainchi Dham Ashram which is located near Nainital in Uttarakhand.
The ashram was founded in 1964 and became the spiritual Mecca to devotees who sought spiritual guidance and peace. What made Neem Karoli Baba famous?
Neem Karoli Baba’s teachings were mostly about bhakti and compassion and selfless service. He called on followers to have good memories of God, help and be humble.
His followers have since told stories about his spiritual presence and strange things that have happened to him.
Although he did not write great philosophical works, his teachings reached people by his followers and by books written by them.
One of the most well-known is Ram Dass, the American spiritual teacher and author of Be Here Now. Ram Dass met Neem Karoli Baba in India in the 1960s, and later helped expose his guru’s teachings to a Western audience.
Steve Jobs' connection with Kainchi Dham
Neem Karoli Baba's connection with the technology world is often attributed to Steve Jobs. Jobs even wanted to visit Neem Karoli Baba during his 1970s travels through India. But by the time he got to Kainchi Dham, the spiritual teacher had already died in 1973.
Jobs nevertheless spent time at the ashram, a memory he took with him even after all these years. Years later he is said to have recommended the place to Mark Zuckerberg during a difficult period in the Facebook founder's career.
Mark Zuckerberg's Visit
Mark Zuckerberg visited Kainchi Dham in 2015, when Facebook was in a rough place. But in a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Zuckerberg said Jobs had advised him to visit a temple in India that had been important to Jobs.
Zuckerberg’s visit brought renewed global attention to Kainchi Dham and Neem Karoli Baba’s legacy.
The ashram still draws devotees from India and abroad. The Kainchi Dham fair is also a popular event in the spiritual life of Neem Karoli Baba.
His influence goes beyond famous visitors to many followers. Love, devotion and service are the main reasons devotees remember him.
