Neem Karoli Baba facts for kids

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Birth Date	c. 1900 Akbarpur village, North-Western Provinces, British India (present-day Firozabad district, Uttar Pradesh, India)
Died on	September 11, 1973 (aged 73) Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh, India
Birth name	Lakshmi Narayan Sharma
Philosophy	Bhakti yoga, Seva

Neem Karoli Baba (Hindi: नीम करौली बाबा, romanized: nīm karaulī bābā) or Neeb Karori Baba (Hindi: नीब करौरी बाबा, romanized: nīb karaurī bābā) was a Hindu spiritual teacher from India. He was born around 1900 and passed away in 1973. Many people called him 'Maharaj-ji'. He was a big follower of the Hindu god Hanuman.

Neem Karoli Baba became well-known outside India. This was because many Americans traveled to India in the 1960s and 70s to learn from him. Some famous students include the teachers Ram Dass and Bhagavan Das. Musicians Krishna Das and Jai Uttal also learned from him. His spiritual centers, called ashrams, are in many places. These include Kainchi, Vrindavan, and Delhi in India. There is also one in Taos, New Mexico, United States.

Life Story of Neem Karoli Baba

Early Life and Family

Neem Karoli Baba's birth name was Lakshmi Narayan Sharma. He was born around 1900 in a village called Akbarpur. This village is in the Uttar Pradesh area of India. His family was wealthy and belonged to the Brahmin group.

When he was about 11 years old, his parents arranged for him to get married. After his marriage, he left home to become a wandering sadhu. A sadhu is a holy person who travels and lives simply. Later, his father asked him to come back home. He returned and lived a married life, having two sons and one daughter.

Becoming Maharaj-ji

In 1958, Neem Karoli Baba, then known as Baba Lakshman Das, left his home again. There is a famous story about him and a train. He got on a train without a ticket. The conductor made the train stop and asked him to get off in a village called Neem Karoli.

After Baba got off, the train would not start again. The drivers tried many times, but nothing worked. Someone suggested that they let the holy man back on the train. Neem Karoli Baba agreed to get back on, but he had two conditions. First, the railway company had to promise to build a train station in Neem Karoli village. At that time, villagers had to walk very far to the nearest station. Second, the railway company had to promise to treat holy people better.

The railway officials agreed to his conditions. Neem Karoli Baba then got back on the train. He joked, "Is it up to me to start trains?" As soon as he was on board, the train started. But the drivers would not move until Baba blessed them. He gave his blessings, and the train continued its journey. Later, a train station was built in Neem Karoli village, just as he asked. People in the village started calling him Neem Karoli Baba.

After this event, he traveled widely across Northern India. During his travels, people knew him by different names. These included Lakshman Das, Handi Wallah Baba, and Tikonia Walla Baba. In the city of Vrindavan, people called him Chamatkari Baba. This means "miracle baba" because of the amazing things he did.

Two main ashrams were built during his life. One was in Kainchi and the other in Vrindavan. Over time, more than 100 temples were built in his name.

The Kainchi Dham ashram was very important to him. He spent the last ten years of his life there. It was built in 1964 and has a temple dedicated to Hanuman. The ashram started two years earlier with a simple platform. Two local holy men used it to perform special ceremonies. This temple is about 17 kilometers from Nainital. It has become a very important place for people to visit and pray.

Every year on June 15, a big celebration happens at Kainchi Dham. It is called the Kainchi Dham Bhandara. This event celebrates the opening of the temple. More than 100,000 people usually come to this celebration.

His Passing

Neem Karoli Baba Samadhi Mandir, Vrindavan

Neem Karoli Baba passed away on September 11, 1973. He was in a hospital in Vrindavan, India. He had been traveling by night train to Kainchi from Agra. He had visited a heart doctor because of chest pains. He and his friends got off the train at Mathura station. There, he started having convulsions. He asked to be taken to Shri Dham Vrindavan.

His special memorial shrine, called a samadhi, was built at the Vrindavan ashram. This shrine also holds some of his personal belongings.

What Neem Karoli Baba Taught

Neem Karoli Baba was a lifelong follower of bhakti yoga. This is a path of devotion and love for God. He taught that helping others, known as seva, was the best way to show true devotion. He believed that serving others was the highest form of love for God.

Baba often said that being too attached to things and having a big ego stop us from understanding God. He taught that "a learned person and a foolish person are alike as long as there is attachment and ego." He advised people to trust in God's plan above all else. This way, they could develop love and faith. He believed this would free them from unnecessary worries in life.

People He Influenced

Kainchi Dham Ashram near Nainital

Many well-known people were students of Neem Karoli Baba. These include the spiritual teacher Ram Dass, who wrote the famous book Be Here Now. Singer and teacher Bhagavan Das also learned from him. Other students include meditation teacher Lama Surya Das and musicians Jai Uttal and Krishna Das.

Other important people influenced by him include Larry Brilliant, who works to help people. Dada Mukerjee, a former professor, was also a devotee. Writer Yvette Rosser and spiritual teacher Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati were also influenced. Filmmaker John Bush and author Daniel Goleman were also among his followers.

Even famous people like Steve Jobs, who started Apple, were influenced by him. Steve Jobs traveled to India in 1974 to learn about spirituality. He hoped to meet Neem Karoli Baba, but the guru had passed away the year before. The famous actress Julia Roberts was also drawn to Hinduism by a picture of Neem Karoli Baba.

Mark Zuckerberg, who created Facebook, visited Neem Karoli Baba's ashram in Kainchi. He was influenced by Steve Jobs. Larry Brilliant also took Google's Larry Page and eBay co-founder Jeffrey Skoll on a trip to the ashram.

Foundations Inspired by Him

After returning to the United States, Ram Dass and Larry Brilliant started a group called the Seva Foundation. This group helps people with health around the world. It is based in California. Steve Jobs, a friend of Larry Brilliant, also helped fund this organization. The Seva Foundation works to prevent and treat blindness. They do this by following Neem Karoli Baba's teachings of selfless service.

In the late 2000s, another group was formed. It is called the 'Love Serve Remember Foundation'. Its goal is to keep Neem Karoli Baba's teachings alive and share them with more people.

Documentary Film

A documentary film called Windfall of Grace was released in 2021. This movie shares stories from both Indian and American followers of Neem Karoli Baba. It shows how different people, from simple villagers to famous Americans, loved and trusted him. The film highlights how meeting Baba changed their lives and their spiritual journeys.

Gallery

See also

In Spanish: Neem Karoli Baba para niños