The Story of:Kainchi Dham

Discover the complete history of Kainchi Dham and all ashrams of Neem Karoli Baba - Kakrighat, Mauni Maa Ashram, Rishikesh & Vrindavan. Why do Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg & Virat Kohli visit this miraculous Himalayan ashram? Full travel guide inside.

 INTRODUCTION: The Place Where The World's Most Successful People Find Peace

Imagine a place nestled between two hills, where a river flows quietly, tall deodar trees surround you, and a silence that silences all the noise in your mind. This is not a movie set, this is Kainchi Dham in Nainital, Uttarakhand, India.

In a world where people spend millions to buy peace, the richest and most successful people in the world come to this small ashram and sit on the floor to eat prasad.

 Apple Founder Steve Jobs, 

Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg,

 Hollywood star Julia Roberts,

 and Indian cricket star Virat Kohli with Anushka Sharma

 - all have one common destination: Kainchi Dham, the ashram of Neem Karoli Baba.

In this blog, we will not only tell you about Kainchi Dham, but the complete story of ALL the ashrams connected to Neem Karoli Baba where he meditated, lived, and performed miracles. If you are planning a trip to Nainital, this is your ultimate travel guide.

SECTION 1: Who Was Neem Karoli Baba?

Neem Karoli Baba was born as Lakshmi Narayan Sharma in Akbarpur village, Firozabad district, Uttar Pradesh. He was married at a very young age, but he had no interest in worldly life. At the age of 17, he left his home and became a sadhu.

He is considered a true devotee and incarnation of Lord Hanuman. 

It is said that Baba had many siddhis [spiritual powers], but he never showed them off. He always wore a blanket, never applied tilak on his forehead, never wore a garland. His simplicity was his biggest identity. He never gave mantras, he just said - "Remember Ram, everything will be fine."

Baba built more than 100 Hanuman temples in his lifetime. On 11th September 1973, he left his body in Vrindavan, which is known as his Maha Samadhi. But devotees still believe Baba is here, among his devotees.

SECTION 2: Kainchi Dham - The Miracle Between Two Hills

Kainchi Dham is located about 17 km from Nainital on the Bhowali-Almora road. Why is it called Kainchi Dham? There are two stories. First, the ashram is built between two hills where the road takes two sharp turns like a pair of scissors [Kainchi]. Second, the two hills themselves are shaped like scissors.

Baba first came here in 1961. At that time, it was just a jungle. Baba loved this place. He along with his devotee Poornanand.

established the ashram here in 1964. On 15th June 1964, the idol of Lord Hanuman was installed in the first temple, so every year on 15th June, a grand fair and Bhandara of Malpua is organized here. On this day, more than 2 lakh people come here to receive prasad.

The most special thing here is the Shipra river flowing beside the ashram. It is believed that bathing in this river washes away all sins.

SECTION 3: Inside The Kainchi Dham Ashram - What You Will See?

When you enter the ashram, you will see 3 main temples.

1. Hanuman Temple: This is the main and first temple of the ashram. Since Baba was a devotee of Hanuman, he established the Hanuman temple first. Just above this temple is a small room where Baba used to sit.

2. Neem Karoli Baba Temple: Here there is a beautiful marble statue of Baba. Behind it is kept the blanket which Baba used to wear. Devotees sit here and meditate.

3. Other Temples: In the complex, there are also small temples of Lord Ram, Sita Mata, Lord Shiva, Vaishno Devi and Ram Darbar.

Apart from this, there is a small museum, a library, and a huge Bhandara Hall. The entire ashram is painted in red and white and has a garden full of flowers. Photography is prohibited inside to maintain peace.

SECTION 4: Baba's Other Ashrams Where He Used To Meditate - This Will Make Your Blog VIRAL

Most people only know about Kainchi Dham, but Baba had many other sacred ashrams. If you are a true devotee of Baba, you must visit these places too.

1. Kakrighat Ashram

 The Tapobhoomi of Baba's Guru

This ashram is located about 30-35 km from Kainchi Dham on the way from Bhowali to Almora. It is in a very secluded place on the banks of the Kosi River. This is actually the penance place of Somwari Maharaj. Somwari Maharaj is considered an incarnation of Lord Shiva and Baba Neem Karoli considered him his Guru. Baba often came here and stayed for weeks. Here Baba built a very beautiful Shiva temple and Hanuman temple. The Shivling here is very ancient. If you go to Kainchi Dham, you must go to Kakrighat, you will find even more peace here than Kainchi Dham.

2. Mauni Maa Ashram 

Where Silence Spoke Everything

This ashram is located on the Bhimtal to Naukuchiatal road. Its story is very interesting. Mauni Maa, whose real name was Leela Devi, was a great devotee of Baba and used to talk a lot. Once in Kainchi Dham, Baba jokingly said, "You talk a lot, try to remain silent." Just after Baba said this, Mauni Maa took a vow of lifelong silence from that very day. Baba ordered her to live in Bhimtal. Mauni Maa built the first temple of Neem Karoli Baba here. Even today, Mauni Maa's Samadhi is here and devotees who come here get immense peace.

3. Veerbhadra Ashram, Rishikesh 

 The Huge Ashram Spread Over 5 Acres

This ashram is located in Veerbhadra, Rishikesh and is spread over about 5 acres. After Baba's Maha Samadhi, his two main disciples Siddhi Maa and Jivanti Maa built this ashram. This ashram is at a very beautiful and peaceful location. Here also there are temples of Hanuman Ji and Baba.

4. Other Important Ashrams: Apart from this, Vrindavan Ashram where Baba took Samadhi

 Hanuman Setu Temple in Lucknow

 And Mehrauli Ashram in Delhi

 are also among Baba's major ashrams.

SECTION 5: The Connection That Made Kainchi Dham World Famous

Steve Jobs and Kainchi Dham: In 1974, when Steve Jobs had dropped out of college and didn't understand what to do in life, he came to India with his friend Daniel Kottke.

 He came to Nainital to meet Baba at Kainchi Dham, but by then Baba had taken Maha Samadhi. But during his stay in the ashram, the peace and simplicity he experienced changed his entire thinking. It is said that the simplicity and design of Apple is inspired from here.

Mark Zuckerberg and Kainchi Dham: When Facebook was in its early stages and Mark Zuckerberg was confused whether to sell the company or continue, Steve Jobs advised him to visit Kainchi Dham. Zuckerberg came here in 2008 and stayed for a month. In an interview with the Prime Minister of India, Zuckerberg himself mentioned that the Kainchi Dham trip gave him the strength to stay focused on his goal.

Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma: Virat and Anushka have visited here many times. In 2022-23, when Virat was going through a bad form, he came here and after that he made a brilliant comeback. Since then, Virat's faith in Kainchi Dham has increased even more.

SECTION 6: Miracles of Kainchi Dham - Why People Believe?

Devotees believe that Baba is still present here in his subtle form. The biggest miracle is that no one who comes here goes empty-handed. There are many stories of people getting cured of diseases with the vibhuti [sacred ash] from here.

In 1963, Baba said that one day people from all over the world will come here, and today you can see people from America, Europe, Japan coming here. In the ashram, even today, Aarti is performed every morning and evening and Bhandara continues, where every visitor gets prasad.

SECTION 7: Travel Guide - How to Reach, When to Go, Where to Stay

How to Reach: The nearest railway station is Kathgodam, which is 40 km away from Kainchi Dham. From there you can easily reach by taxi or bus. The nearest airport is Pantnagar, which is 70 km away.

When to Go: The best time to visit is from March to June and September to November. Visiting on 15th June on Foundation Day is a different experience, but there is a huge crowd on that day. In winters it is very cold here and in rainy season there is a risk of landslides.

Where to Stay: There are some rooms in the ashram itself which have to be booked in advance. Apart from this, hotels and homestays ranging from Rs. 500 to Rs. 5000 are available in Bhowali and Nainital.

Places to Visit Nearby: Along with Kainchi Dham, you can also visit Nainital, Bhimtal, Mukteshwar, Almora, Jageshwar Dham and Kasar Devi Temple.

CONCLUSION

Kainchi Dham is not just a temple, it is an experience. The air here has a different kind of peace. If you ever feel stressed in life, then you must come to Kainchi Dham once. Baba's blessings will always be with you. Jai Neem Karoli Baba.