Neem Karoli Baba – Why Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg & Julia Roberts Were All Devotees

Steve Jobs flew to India in 1974 — broke, searching for something he couldn't name. Mark Zuckerberg visited a small ashram in Nainital when Facebook was on the verge of collapse. Julia Roberts became a Hindu after a profound spiritual encounter. What connected all three of them? A saint who died in 1973. Neem Karoli Baba.

Who Was Neem Karoli Baba?

Neem Karoli Baba — also known as Maharaj-ji or Neeb Karori Baba — was a Hindu saint and a fierce devotee of Lord Hanuman. Born around 1900 in Uttar Pradesh, he spent most of his life at the Kainchi Dham ashram in Nainital, Uttarakhand. He left his body on 11 September 1973 in Vrindavan.

He was not a yogi who performed spectacular feats for crowds. He was not a preacher who gave long discourses. He was simply a man who sat under a blanket, offered chai and prasad to visitors, and loved everyone unconditionally. People came to him with problems and left with answers they hadn't asked for. His method was pure love.

His Western devotees — including Ram Dass (Richard Alpert), who wrote Be Here Now — introduced him to the world. And through them, his influence reached Silicon Valley, Hollywood, and beyond.

Steve Jobs and Neem Karoli Baba

In 1974, a 19-year-old Steve Jobs boarded a flight to India with his college friend Daniel Kottke. They had one goal: to find Neem Karoli Baba at Kainchi Dham. But by the time they arrived, Maharaj-ji had already left his body — he had passed away in September 1973.

Jobs spent several months in India — visiting ashrams, meditating, living simply, and immersing himself in the Vedic world. He later said this journey fundamentally changed the way he thought. The concept of intuition over intellect, the idea that the rational mind is only one tool among many — these became central to how Jobs built Apple. The minimalism. The reverence for simplicity. The belief that technology should feel like art.

Jobs famously said: "Intuition is a very powerful thing, more powerful than intellect." He attributed this understanding to his time in India and his exposure to Eastern philosophy.

Mark Zuckerberg and Kainchi Dham

In 2008, when Facebook was losing ground to Google and the pressure to shut down or sell was immense, Zuckerberg was advised by Steve Jobs himself to visit Kainchi Dham — the ashram of Neem Karoli Baba in Nainital. Jobs told him: "Go to India and see the clarity it brings."

Zuckerberg went. He spent time at the ashram in prayer and reflection. He returned with a renewed clarity of purpose and the resolve to keep Facebook independent and grow it into what it became. In 2015, at a town hall with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Zuckerberg publicly acknowledged this journey and its role in shaping his decisions at a critical moment.

Julia Roberts and Hinduism

Julia Roberts, one of the most celebrated actresses in Hollywood, publicly embraced Hinduism following her research for the film Eat Pray Love (2010). She has cited Neem Karoli Baba as a spiritual influence and speaks openly about her devotion to Lord Hanuman and the teachings she encountered at Kainchi Dham. Her children were raised with Hindu values, and she has spoken about how the Vedic worldview transformed her relationship with life.

Kainchi Dham — The Ashram

Kainchi Dham is located in the Kumaon hills of Uttarakhand, on the banks of the Kosi River, about 17 km from Nainital. The ashram was established by Neem Karoli Baba in 1964. Every year on 15 June, a massive bhandara (free meal) is held at the ashram, drawing hundreds of thousands of devotees.

The presiding deity of the ashram is Lord Hanuman. The energy at Kainchi Dham is described by visitors as profoundly peaceful, almost tangible. Even today, decades after Maharaj-ji's passing, devotees report feeling his presence at the ashram.

What Was Neem Karoli Baba's Teaching?

He had no formal teaching method. But those who knew him say his core message was simple:

• Sub ek hai — "Everything is One."
• Love everyone. Serve everyone. Remember God.
• The highest form of worship is feeding people — hence the bhandara tradition.
• Hanuman is the perfect devotee — total surrender, total service, total love.

Ram Dass summarised it as: "He gave you the feeling that he knew everything about you — and loved you anyway."

Is He God?

His devotees believe he was an avatar of Hanuman — or at minimum, a Mahapurusha (great soul) who had transcended the ordinary human condition. He himself never claimed divinity. When asked, he would laugh and deflect. But the experiences his devotees report — of him knowing things he couldn't possibly know, of inexplicable healings, of appearing to devotees in distant places simultaneously — have led thousands to believe he was not merely human.

Whether you believe he was God, a great saint, or simply a remarkable human being — the impact of his love on the world is undeniable.

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Jai Hanuman. Jai Maharaj-ji. 🕊️