Looking for Neem Karoli Baba: How a 20th century guru found a new generation

13 min readSep 19, 2026 07:09 AM IST First published on: Sep 19, 2026 at 07:00 AM IST

Neem Karoli Baba was known for his trademark blanket-wrapped reclining pose.

A little before 6 pm, hundreds wait in the slow drizzle for the aarti to begin. Somewhere in the middle, a woman stands with her palms folded in prayer, her tear-streaked face lit up by the aarti fire. Just then, the bells toll, and she joins the crowd to chant a guttural “Sitaram, Sitaram”.

Here at the Kainchi Dham, a shrine and ashram in the Kumaon hills dedicated to Neem Karoli Baba, faith and devotion, and the steady stream of worshippers, crowd out any stray questions one may have about the pull and relevance of a long-departed spiritual guru in these times.