Neem Karoli Baba – Hindu Mystic & Philosopher

Neem Karoli Baba or Neeb Karori Baba (1900 – 1973) was a Hindu spiritual leader, philosopher, guru and a devotee of Hanuman. He remained a prominent religious guru in the 1960s when many religious figures from different parts of the part used to visit him. He has ashrams in many parts of the country, apart from Taos of USA. Bhakti yoga and Sewa are his philosophical principles, where he helped and served others without expecting anything in return. He also had numerous disciples. Some such prominent names include – Ram Dass, Krishna Dass, Bhagavan Das, Lama Surya Das, Professor Dada Mukerjee etc.

Neem Karoli Baba’s birthplace Akbarpur is now a part of Firozabad district, Uttar Pradesh. His birth name is Lakshmi Narayan Sharma. There is no well-written biography about him, and hence details about his childhood are less known. He left home at the age of 11 soon after marriage, and wandered throughout north India as a saint. He built his first ashram in Vrindavan and second one at Kainchi. Throughout his travels, people called him by different names. When his family found him after 10-15 years, he was forced to stay at home. During that period, he had three children and was engaged in social life. He spent his last years in Kainchi, where he built his second Ashram. He slipped into a diabetic coma while at Vrindavan, resulting in his death.

Neem Karoli Baba – 10+ interesting and less-known facts

1. There is no written document about his life, and it’s believed that he took different names at different places; for instance Chamatkari Baba, Lakshman Das, Handi Wallah Baba, Tikonia Walla Baba etc.

2. When Steve Jobs came to India in 1973 to meet Baba, he has already left materialistic world a few days ago.

3. Among different stories, it’s also said that apple is the favourite fruit of Neem Karoli Baba, which Steve Jobs took as his company name.

4. Steve Jobs advised Mark Zuckerberg to visit Kainchi Dham temple, when his company was going through a tough patch.

5. In the late 1960s one of his American disciples, Baba Ram Dass authored a book about him which influenced many foreigners to visit him in India.

6. Many celebrities and westerners were drawn towards his principles and Hindu philosophy, and Hollywood actress Julia Roberts was one such.

7. A railway station has been built in the village of Neeb Karori as desired by the saint.

8. More than a 100 temples have been built in his name.

9. Starting from 1964, he built several Hanuman temples in north India.

10. ‘Sab Ek’ is one of his famous quotes.