Neem Karoli Baba Steve Jobs: The True Story, Kainchi Dham History, Distance from Nainital and How to Reach
Many foreign guests tell us, “We read that Steve Jobs went to India to meet a baba. Who was he, and can we visit?” The answer is Neem Karoli Baba, and his ashram is Kainchi Dham, near Nainital in Uttarakhand. We are local Uttarakhand people from Rishikesh (Om Homestay), and many of our guests combine Kainchi Dham with their Himalaya trip. Here is the simple honest story of Neem Karoli Baba Steve Jobs, and all the travel details to follow the Neem Karoli Baba Steve Jobs trail yourself.
Steve Jobs never met Neem Karoli Baba. In 1974 Jobs travelled to India with his friend Daniel Kottke to find Baba, but by then Baba had already left his body in 1973. Jobs still came to Kainchi Dham, the ashram near Nainital. Years later Mark Zuckerberg said that Jobs had advised him to visit the same ashram.
- Ashram: Kainchi Dham (also spelled Kaichi Dham), on the Nainital to Almora road
- Distance from Nainital: about 17 km. From Bhowali: about 9 km
- Nearest railway station: Kathgodam, about 30 km
- Entry is free, and the ashram is a quiet temple place, not a tourist park
Neem Karoli Baba Steve Jobs: the story of Kainchi DhamNeem Karoli Baba Steve Jobs: what really happened
The Neem Karoli Baba Steve Jobs story is told wrongly on many websites. On the internet you will see many stories saying “Steve Jobs met Neem Karoli Baba and then made Apple”. We want to tell you the real thing, because as locals we do not like half-true stories about our holy places.
In 1974 a young Steve Jobs, around 19 years old, went to India with his college friend Daniel Kottke. They had heard about Neem Karoli Baba from the American spiritual teacher Ram Dass and his book “Be Here Now”. They went to Kainchi Dham to find Baba. But Baba had already passed away in September 1973, so they could not meet him. So the right answer is that Neem Karoli Baba Steve Jobs is not a story of a meeting. It is a story of a young man who came searching for a saint, and found an ashram with Baba’s memory and teaching.
Did the trip make Apple? Honestly, nobody can say that. Jobs himself spoke in his life about how India and Eastern thinking changed his way of seeing things, but please be careful with websites that say “Baba told Jobs to start Apple”. That is not true, he never met him.
Neem Karoli Baba history behind the Neem Karoli Baba Steve Jobs story
Neem Karoli Baba is lovingly called Maharaj-ji by his devotees. He was born in Uttar Pradesh in the early 1900s, and later lived in many villages and ashrams of north India. His followers believe that he was an incarnation or a very special devotee of Lord Hanuman, and Hanuman temples are a big part of his ashrams.
Born in Akbarpur, Uttar Pradesh, as Lakshmi Narayan Sharma. He left home young and travelled as a wandering sadhu. The name Neem Karoli comes from the village of Neem Karoli in Farrukhabad district, where he stayed for a time.
The Kainchi Dham ashram was set up in the 1960s on the bank of the Kosi river, near Kainchi village. The name Kainchi comes from two sharp hairpin bends on the road, not from scissors, as many people think.
In the late 1960s and early 1970s Americans like Richard Alpert, who became Ram Dass, came to India and met Baba. After that Ram Dass wrote “Be Here Now”, and the book carried Baba’s name to the whole West.
Neem Karoli Baba left his body in Vrindavan. His devotees keep a samadhi temple there, and Kainchi Dham continues as his main ashram in the hills.
Why is Neem Karoli Baba famous? For two reasons. First, his simple teachings of love, service and remembering God, which people still follow. Second, the famous people who were touched by his name, from Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg to Julia Roberts, Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma, who are said to have visited the ashram.
Neem Karoli Baba Steve Jobs Mark Zuckerberg: the connection
This is the part of the Neem Karoli Baba Steve Jobs story that made Kainchi Dham famous around the world. Here is the simple timeline.
| Person | What happened | Our note |
|---|---|---|
| Steve Jobs | Travelled to India in 1974 with Daniel Kottke, looking for Neem Karoli Baba at Kainchi Dham | He did not meet Baba, as Baba had passed in 1973 |
| Mark Zuckerberg | Said at a 2015 townhall with PM Modi that Jobs advised him to visit the ashram when Facebook was passing through a hard time | Sources differ on the year of his visit, so we do not give one |
| Julia Roberts | Has spoken about how a photo of Baba pulled her towards Hinduism | Not a Kainchi Dham story, a story of his picture |
| Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma | Reported to have visited Kainchi Dham | After that, the crowd became bigger |
After Zuckerberg spoke about the Neem Karoli Baba Steve Jobs link, many more people started to come to Kainchi Dham. Local people told news channels the numbers went up a lot, and some visitors even came asking for the “Zuckerberg temple”. That is the funny part, because the real name is Kainchi Dham, Neem Karoli Baba ashram.
Where is Neem Karoli Baba ashram? The place of the Neem Karoli Baba Steve Jobs story
Neem Karoli Baba ashram is Kainchi Dham, in the Bhowali area of Nainital district, Uttarakhand. It sits at around 1,400 m height on the Nainital to Almora road, on the bank of a small river. It is a Hanuman temple and ashram, and you will see a calm place with temples, a Hanuman statue and a prasad hall. If you love such saint places of Uttarakhand, you can also read about the places to visit on the way from Rishikesh to Mahavatar Babaji Cave.
Distance from Nainital to Neem Karoli Baba (Kainchi Dham) for Neem Karoli Baba Steve Jobs fans
The distance from Nainital to Neem Karoli Baba ashram is about 17 km, and it takes around 45 minutes to 1 hour by taxi, a little more in the tourist season. Here are all the numbers in one table. Distances are approximate, so please do not fight with your driver over small numbers.
| From | To Kainchi Dham | Time (normal) |
|---|---|---|
| Nainital | about 17 km | 45 to 60 min |
| Bhowali | about 9 km | 20 to 30 min |
| Bhimtal | about 20 km | 30 to 45 min |
| Kathgodam railway station | about 30 km | 1.5 hours |
| Haldwani | about 40 km | 1.5 hours |
| Pantnagar airport | about 79 km | 2 hours |
| Delhi | about 320 km | 7 to 8 hours by road |
Neem Karoli Baba nearest railway station: Kathgodam
The Neem Karoli Baba nearest railway station is Kathgodam (code KGM), about 30 km from Kainchi Dham, and the drive takes around 1.5 hours because the road via Bhowali is winding. Kathgodam is the last big train station in the Kumaon hills, with trains from Delhi, Lucknow, Kanpur and Howrah. Haldwani station is also close, about 40 km.
From the station you can take a private taxi, a shared jeep or a bus towards Bhowali and Nainital. Pre-book if you arrive late at night, specially if you come for the Neem Karoli Baba Steve Jobs places. We can also help with your taxi from Delhi, Haridwar and Rishikesh, and you can read our Kathgodam to Kainchi Dham travel guide.
How to reach Neem Karoli Baba ashram Nainital from Delhi
Plan from Delhi, step by step
Take an overnight or morning train from Delhi to Kathgodam. It is the easiest way, specially for tourists who do not want a long road journey. Book early in season.
Take a taxi up the hill road via Haldwani side. The road starts to climb and gets curvy. If anyone in the car feels vomiting, take a motion tablet before.
From Bhowali the ashram is just 9 km on the Nainital to Almora road. You will see the temple on the road side, and the cars on the road are many on busy days.
Spend 2 to 3 hours, take blessings, eat prasad if offered, and walk slowly. Then continue to Nainital (17 km) or Almora side.
| Way | Details |
|---|---|
| Train + taxi | Delhi to Kathgodam, then about 30 km by taxi. Best for most guests. |
| Road from Delhi | About 320 km, 7 to 8 hours. Leave early morning to miss traffic. |
| Bus | Delhi (Anand Vihar) to Nainital by bus, then taxi or bus to Kainchi Dham. |
| Air | Pantnagar airport is the nearest, about 79 km, but flights are few. |
Neem Karoli Baba ashram, Kainchi Dham
Hanuman temple at Kainchi Dham
Kathgodam station, 30 km away
Nainital lake, 17 km awayWhat to know before you follow the Neem Karoli Baba Steve Jobs trail
Dress and manners
- Wear simple modest clothes, cover shoulders and knees
- Remove shoes before the temple
- Keep voice low, it is a prayer place
- Follow the rules and signs at the gate
Time and season
- Best months: March to June and September to November
- Winter is cold and clear, carry a jacket
- Monsoon roads can get landslides
- Entry is free, 2 to 3 hours is enough
If you want to stay in the ashram itself, you need permission in advance from the ashram, and you cannot just book online. Most tourists stay in Nainital or Bhimtal and come for the day. And if you are planning Rishikesh and Haridwar also, contact us and we will help you plan the whole Uttarakhand trip. Many guests who come for Neem Karoli Baba also like to visit another saint place in Kumaon, so see our list of places to visit from Rishikesh to Mahavatar Babaji Cave for the route and the stops on the way.
Frequently asked questions: Neem Karoli Baba Steve Jobs and Kainchi Dham
Who is Neem Karoli Baba?
Neem Karoli Baba, also called Maharaj-ji, was a Hindu saint and devotee of Lord Hanuman. He founded the Kainchi Dham ashram near Nainital in the 1960s, and his teachings of love and service reached the West through Ram Dass.
Why is Neem Karoli Baba famous?
He is famous for his simple spiritual teachings and for the people he inspired, including Ram Dass, and visitors like Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, Julia Roberts and Virat Kohli.
Is Neem Karoli Baba still alive?
No. Neem Karoli Baba left his body in September 1973 in Vrindavan. His ashrams, including Kainchi Dham, continue today and many devotees visit.
Where is Neem Karoli Baba ashram?
The ashram is Kainchi Dham in the Bhowali area of Nainital district, Uttarakhand, about 17 km from Nainital and 9 km from Bhowali, on the Nainital to Almora road.
Did Steve Jobs meet Neem Karoli Baba?
No. In the Neem Karoli Baba Steve Jobs story, they never met. Steve Jobs could not meet Neem Karoli Baba, because Baba had passed away in 1973 and Jobs reached India in 1974.
Did Steve Jobs come to Neem Karoli Baba ashram?
Yes. Steve Jobs came to Kainchi Dham in 1974 with his friend Daniel Kottke, looking for Neem Karoli Baba. He arrived after Baba had already left his body.
Did Neem Karoli Baba inspire Steve Jobs?
Jobs was inspired by the spiritual search that took him to India and to Neem Karoli Baba’s name. But he never met Baba, and claims that Baba told him to start Apple are not true.
Neem Karoli Baba met Steve Jobs, is this true?
No. This is a common myth on social media. They never met, because Baba had passed before Jobs came to India.
What is the distance from Nainital to Neem Karoli Baba ashram?
About 17 km, and around 45 minutes to 1 hour by taxi.
What is the Neem Karoli Baba nearest railway station?
Kathgodam railway station is the nearest, about 30 km from Kainchi Dham, with a 1.5 hour drive.
Did Mark Zuckerberg visit Neem Karoli Baba ashram?
Yes. Mark Zuckerberg visited Kainchi Dham after Steve Jobs advised him to go there when Facebook was going through a hard time. He spoke about it at a townhall with PM Modi in 2015.
Planning Kainchi Dham with Rishikesh and Haridwar?
We are Om Homestay, Upper Tapovan, Rishikesh. We arrange taxi from Delhi, Haridwar and Kathgodam, and our rooms are just 1 km from Laxman Jhula. Message us on WhatsApp and we will tell you honestly what is best for your plan.