Who Was Neem Karoli Baba? Kainchi Dham, Spiritual Retreat That Inspired Steve Jobs, Virat Kohl, Mark Zuckerberg and More

From Apple's Steve Jobs and Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg to cricket star Virat Kohli, why do the world's biggest names flock to the Kainchi Dham ashram? We uncover the story of Neem Karoli Baba and this mysterious spiritual hub.

Who is the Indian Baba behind the success of Apple and Facebook? Is that why Kohli also went?

When you hit a major roadblock in life, what do you do? You look for some peace, right? That's what tech titans and global celebs did. From Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg to Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma, their lives were touched by a spiritual centre in India: Kainchi Dham in Uttarakhand.

What's the background of Kainchi Dham? Who is Neem Karoli Baba?

Neem Karoli Baba established this amazing ashram in 1964. His real name was Lakshman Narayan Sharma, born in 1900 in UP. Though he had a family, his heart was always in spirituality. He attained Mahasamadhi in Vrindavan on September 11, 1973.

The crazy mystery behind the name 'Neem Karoli Baba'

The name 'Neem Karoli Baba' comes from a mind-blowing story. A British TTE threw him off a train for not having a ticket. The train then refused to move. The officials had to apologise and invite him back on board before the train would start. The incident happened in Neem Karoli village.

The Big Tech Success Connection: The advice that changed the lives of Steve Jobs and Zuckerberg

In 1974, before founding Apple, Steve Jobs visited India for clarity. Years later, he advised a struggling Mark Zuckerberg to visit Kainchi Dham. Zuckerberg took the advice, and Facebook's fortunes turned. Even actress Julia Roberts was drawn to Hinduism after seeing Baba's photo.

Celebrity Visits & Route Map: How to get to the ashram?

Inspired by Virat Kohli's visit? To reach Kainchi Dham in Uttarakhand, take a train to Kathgodam and then a 2-hour taxi. For the Vrindavan ashram in UP, which has Baba's Mahasamadhi, it's just 1.9 km from the bus stand and 2.1 km from the railway station.