Kainchi Dham, Nainital

Neem Karoli Baba (Maharajji) is regarded by devotees as a siddha saint and an embodiment of Hanuman himself. According to a well-known devotional legend, he was once removed from a train in his youth for travelling without a ticket, but the train would not move again until he was respectfully seated back on board, an incident said to have occurred in the village of Neeb Karori, Uttar Pradesh, from which he came to be known as 'Neem Karoli Baba'.

Baba established this ashram in 1964, along with the Hanuman temple, on land donated by a local resident named Purnanand, and spent the final years of his life here. He passed away on 11 September 1973 in Vrindavan. The name 'Kainchi' comes from the sharp, scissor-like bends formed where the surrounding hills meet at this spot.

Among Baba's followers were several Western seekers who travelled here to meet him, including Ram Dass (Richard Alpert) and Larry Brilliant, and Steve Jobs's later visit to Kainchi Dham also became widely known around the world, making this ashram popular with visitors from India and abroad alike.

On Foundation Day (15 June), a grand community feast (bhandara) is held, drawing thousands of devotees from India and abroad. Even on ordinary days, the ashram's peaceful, forested surroundings draw many visitors.