Neem Karoli Baba, also known as Neeb Karori Baba, was a spiritual guru and saint from India. He was born as Lakshmi Narayan Sharma in 1900 in the village of Akbarpur, in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.
Neem Karoli Baba was a follower of the Hanuman Bhakti tradition, which centers around devotion to the Hindu monkey god, Hanuman. He was known for his simple and unorthodox approach to spirituality, often using humor and personal anecdotes to convey his teachings.
Neem Karoli Baba attracted a large following of devotees, both in India and in the West. Many of his Western followers were drawn to his teachings during the 1960s and 1970s, when he became a popular figure in the counterculture movement.
Among his famous Western followers were spiritual teachers Ram Dass and Bhagavan Das, as well as Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, who credited Neem Karoli Baba with inspiring him to travel to India and seek spiritual enlightenment.
Neem Karoli Baba passed away in 1973, but his teachings continue to inspire many people today. His ashram, located in the town of Kainchi in the Indian state of Uttarakhand, remains a popular pilgrimage site for his followers.
