Kainchi Dham

Kainchi Dham is a religious pilgrimage center located at Kainchi on the Nainital - Almora Road in Uttarakhand. The word Kainchi means two sharp hairpin bends in a local dialect and hence the name. It is one of the well known temples of Uttarakhand state and one of the top places to visit in Nainital. Famous visitors of the temple include Apple founder Steve Jobs and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. This is another popular attraction not to miss in a Nainital tour package.

Kainchi is a beautiful secluded shrine and is famous for the Hanuman Mandir. The ashram is situated at an altitude of 1400 m. In 1962, Neem Karoli Baba built a platform around a place where two spiritual gurus Sadhu Premi Baba and Sombari Maharaj had performed Yagyas in Kainchi village. The Hanuman temple was later built over the platform thus establishing the Kainchi Ashram. The first temple of Lord Hanuman was inaugurated in June 15, 1964 by Neem Karoli Baba.

Baba Neem Karoli died on September 10, 1973. A temple for him was subsequently built at the Ashram. His statue was consecrated on 15th June 1976. Thousands of devotees from all around the country visit this place every year. Among the most well-known of Neem Karoli Baba's disciples were spiritual teacher Ma Jaya, Ram Das, teacher/performer Bhagavan Das, Lama Surya Das and the musicians Jai Uttal and Krishna Das.

On 15th of June every year a bhandara is organized, which attracts large number of devotees to celebrate the birth anniversary of Neem Karoli Baba. Anyone who wants to visit the Ashram in Kainchi village need prior permission. After a reference from one of the older devotees, one can stay for three days. Rules are strictly enforced and individuals staying at the ashram are required to participate in morning and evening arati. The ashram is closed for a large portion of the year as it becomes very cold in winter and late monsoon.

History of Kainchi Dham
The Ashram and temple of Kainchi Dham remained largely away from popular awareness in India. It was only since Steve Jobs revealed of his connection with the ashram that it began to gain popularity and attract myriads of visitors. Neem Karoli Ashram stands as an oasis of silence and serenity on the Nainital- Almora road. The ashram is located at a distance of 38 km from Nainital, the famous hill-station. The spiritual refuge situated in Kumaon hills of Uttarakhand consists of a simple temple devoted to Lord Hanuman. It is said that the spiritual Guru popularly referred to as Maharajji first constructed a platform commemorating the site which was previously used by two other spiritual teachers, namely Sombari Maharaj and Sadhu Premi Babu, to perform yagna in the Kainchi village.

Later, a temple devoted to Maharajji’s ishta devata Lord Hanuman was constructed over the same raised platform. As devotees started pouring in, kirtans, bhandaras and bhajans began to take place. 15 June began to be celebrated as the Pratishta Divas. Even today, 15 June attracts such a large number of followers to Kainchi dham ashram and temple that it gets cumbersome for the district authorities to regulate traffic in the region. A small ashram also grew up around the temple, serving as the base for devotees and disciples who sought out the blessings of the beloved spiritual teacher. Many well-known spiritual leaders of the west like Ram Dass were disciples of Maharajji and are said to have spent time with the beloved spiritual teacher at this very place. His devotees consider it mandatory to visit the temple at least once in their lifetime.
After the baba passed away in 1973, his disciples and devotees volunteered to construct a temple in his name at the site. The temple bears a kalash containing the ashes of his mortal body and a murti of the spiritual teacher.

How to Reach Kainchi Dham
The Kainchi Dham ashram is located 18 km away in Bhowali area from Nainital city and is well connected by motorable roads. You can drive to the Kainchi Dham or hire a taxi cab to reach here.
Kathgodam is the nearest railway station for people traveling by train. Located 45 km away from the Kainchi Dham, one can hire a shared or private taxi from the railway station. There are also buses running between the two places.
For air travelers, Pantnagar airport is the nearest one, 76 km away. You can reach Kainchi Dham via NH 109 by hiring a taxi cab from the airport.