Guru’s legacy: Neem Karoli Baba gains new devotees
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In India, increasing numbers of people are visiting the ashrams of Neem Karoli Baba, a spiritual guru popular in the 1960s and 1970s, after renewed interest sparked by a 2015 visit from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a recent biographical film.
The guru, born Lakshman Narayan Sharma around 1900, travelled extensively before establishing temples and ashrams across northern India, with Kainchi Dham in Uttarakhand becoming his principal base.
In 2026, the Kainchi Dham shrine saw 2.43 million visitors in the first six months, a substantial increase from around eight lakh visitors annually in previous years. This surge followed a mention of the shrine by Mark Zuckerberg, who said Steve Jobs had advised him to visit it during a difficult time. Celebrities like Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma also contributed to the growing popularity with a 2022 visit.
Local communities surrounding the ashrams are experiencing economic benefits from the increased tourism. Shops sell items associated with the Baba, such as blankets and sweets, and residents hope the renewed attention will bring infrastructure improvements to their villages, like Akbarpur, the Baba’s birthplace, where a property dispute between his granddaughters and a managing trust remains unresolved. A new film about the guru's life is also drawing new followers who seek a sense of peace and spirituality.
