Neem Karoli Baba

Neem Karoli Baba Biography

Neem Karoli Baba was a Hindu guru, philosopher and a great devotee of Hanuman. He was fondly called Maharaj-ji by his followers. His name is also pronounced as Neeb Karori Baba. His birth name is Lakshmi Narayan Sharma and he was born in Akbarpur, British India. His spirituality has even attracted foreigners and a number of Americans who travelled to India in the 1960s and 1970s accepted him as guru as well. The spiritual teachers Ram Dass and Bhagavan Das, and the musicians Krishna Das and Jai Uttal were among those who got attracted to Maharaj-ji. Apart from his ashrams in various parts of India, one has been established at Taos, New Mexico, USA.

The exact details of Neem Karoli Baba's birth and early years are not known. There is no written biography about him too. He left home when his youngest child was 11 years old. He wandered throughout India as a saint. During his wandering, he was known by the names - Lakshman Das, Handi Wallah Baba, and Tikonia Walla Baba. In Vrindavan, he was known by the name Chamatkari Baba. Throughout his life he practised bhakti yoga, and encouraged seva, help and support to others without expecting anything in return. It’s believed that he accepted different names at different places and there is no written document about his life.

Neem Karoli Baba's disciples were Dada Mukerjee, Larry Brilliant, Yvette Rosser, Baba Hari Dass, Ram Dass, Bhagavan Das, Lama Surya Das, Jai Uttal and Krishna Das. Baba Hari Dass heads his ashram in USA. Steve Jobs, along with his friend Dan Kottke came to India in 1973 to meet Baba. However Baba died before that. Hollywood actress Julia Roberts was also influenced by Baba and she was drawn towards Hinduism.

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Updated: March 12, 2014