Who Is Baba Neem Karoli? The Mystical Sage Who Inspired Manoj Bajpayee, Virat Kohli, Anushka Sharma, Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs, And Julia Roberts

Hidden in the foothills of Uttarakhand and dotted across Vrindavan, Rishikesh and even New Mexico, the ashrams of Baba Neem Karoli (often called Neeb Karori Baba or simply Maharaj-ji) have become unlikely crossroads of Silicon Valley, Bollywood and the spiritual Himalayas. Long before Instagram reels and glossy wellness retreats, the soft-spoken saint drew seekers from every walk of life. Today his name pops up everywhere from a cricket star’s quiet retreat to an actor’s confessional interview. Why? Because Neem Karoli Baba represented a form of devotion that was at once intimate and expansive, traditional yet radical. Born Lakshman Narayan Sharma in the early twentieth century, he was married off at fourteen into a prosperous Brahmin household.

Twice he tried to leave home for a life of renunciation; twice he was persuaded back. In 1958 he boarded a train without a ticket, was unceremoniously asked to get off at a small village called Neem Karoli—and legend says that was the turning point. The place gave him his name; he gave it a temple and a movement rooted in Hanuman bhakti (devotion). Fun Fact: The unassuming “kutia” or hut at Vrindavan where he meditated still exists, and the stone bench outside is often garlanded with marigolds by visitors who believe it radiates his presence.

The Global Circle Around A Himalayan Sadhu

If the 1960s and 70s were India’s “spiritual tourism” boom years, Neem Karoli Baba was at the epicentre. Ram Dass (author of Be Here Now), Bhagavan Das, and musicians like Krishna Das and Jai Uttal all became his students, taking his teachings to Western audiences hungry for meaning. Apple co-founder Steve Jobs famously travelled to Kainchi Dham Ashram hoping to meet him, but the Baba had passed away in 1973—just weeks before Jobs arrived. Jobs still credited the trip with shaping his life and later suggested to a young Mark Zuckerberg that he should go too. Zuckerberg did, in 2015, at a time when Facebook was under severe stress. Actress Julia Roberts has also spoken publicly about visiting the ashram and feeling an instant sense of calm. So what exactly drew these global figures? Devotees say it was his insistence on seva—selfless service—as the highest expression of love, coupled with a mischievous humour that dissolved egos. His physical life ended on 11 September 1973 in Vrindavan, but his influence only expanded afterwards.

Virat Kohli, Anushka Sharma And A Family Pilgrimage

Fast-forward to today and you find the Baba’s legacy alive not only in Silicon Valley but also in cricket stadiums and film studios. In early 2024 Virat Kohli, Anushka Sharma and their daughter Vamika quietly slipped into the Vrindavan ashram. They meditated in the “kutia”, visited the samadhi (shrine) and reportedly spent an hour in silence. According to local caretakers, both the Kohli and Sharma families have been long-time devotees, stopping by whenever schedules allow. Besides Vrindavan, Neem Karoli Baba’s ashrams stretch from Rishikesh and Shimla to Delhi and even Taos in New Mexico—a testament to how far his message has travelled. Fun Fact: The Taos ashram in the USA sits at an altitude of over 2,000 metres, making it one of the highest Hanuman temples in North America.

Manoj Bajpayee’s ‘Magical’ Encounter Before Shooting Jugnuma

One of the most compelling recent celebrity stories comes from actor Manoj Bajpayee. Just before shooting his new film Jugnuma—a mystical drama set in the late 1980s Himalayas—the National Award-winning actor and his director Raam Reddy decided to meet “in the middle”. Their chosen meeting point was not a café or a boardroom but the Neem Karoli Baba Ashram at Kainchi Dham, Uttarakhand.

In an interview, Bajpayee recalled visiting Babaji’s cave: “We went to Babaji’s cave. We meditated and some magical things happened. We both witnessed it. As we were climbing down both of us said, ‘We found the film’… It’s just a feeling. If you ask me to narrate it to you, I can’t.” That moment was more than anecdotal. The actor admitted he had been on the verge of quitting films entirely—something only his wife Shabana Raza knew. Reading the script of Jugnuma gave him hope, and the visit to the ashram sealed his decision to continue. The film has since travelled to major festivals including Berlinale and MAMI before its theatrical release.

Why The Legend Endures

Whether it’s an exhausted tech entrepreneur, a restless actor or a cricketing couple in search of silence, Neem Karoli Baba’s appeal lies in his refusal to offer shortcuts. He emphasised daily practice, devotion to Hanuman, feeding the poor, and humility over spectacle. Yet paradoxically, this very humility created a global phenomenon. For younger Indians discovering him through Instagram reels of celebrity visits, it’s worth noting that his teachings weren’t about fame but about dissolving the ego. The crowds at his samadhi or the incense at his temples are incidental; the heart of it is still the same: “Love everyone, serve everyone, remember God.”

Quick Fun Facts

• His followers nicknamed him “Maharaj-ji”, but he preferred simply “Baba”.

• Despite attracting the counterculture crowd, he himself never left India after renunciation.

• The ashram at Kainchi Dham hosts an annual bhandara (feast) in June, said to draw tens of thousands of people—without a single formal invitation.

Baba Neem Karoli’s story is almost cinematic: a ticketless passenger turned saint whose small ashrams became world crossroads. Manoj Bajpayee’s candid account of “finding the film” at the ashram mirrors what devotees across generations say—they find a direction they didn’t know they were looking for. Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma’s quiet visit, Mark Zuckerberg’s crisis pilgrimage, Steve Jobs’s missed meeting, Julia Roberts’s serene stopover—all point to a figure who, without leaving India, left footprints across the globe. For anyone curious, a visit to one of his ashrams is less about celebrity spotting and more about stepping into a living tradition where mysticism meets everyday service. In a world obsessed with the next big thing, Neem Karoli Baba remains a gentle reminder of something older, quieter and—perhaps—magical.