Why Neem Karoli Baba devotees are flocking to this Prayagraj home after Hanuman Ansh
A modest house in a quiet part of Prayagraj has become a place of interest for devotees of Neem Karoli Baba. There is no grand temple, large idol or elaborate setup here. Yet, people have been visiting the house to seek blessings and see a room that is believed to be connected to the spiritual teacher. The interest has grown after Hanuman Ansh, which brought the story of Neem Karoli Baba to the big screen.
The house, located at 18/4 Church Lane in Prayagraj, is believed to be one of the places where Baba stayed during his visits to the city.The room where Neem Karoli Baba stayed
From the outside, the house looks like any other residence in the neighbourhood. However, one room inside has been preserved as it is believed to be the room where Neem Karoli Baba would stay and pray.
The house once belonged to Sudhir Mukherjee, a professor of economics at Allahabad University. According to accounts associated with the family, Baba would visit him once or twice a year. The house in Prayagraj that Neem Karoli Baba visited. Photo: YouTube screengrab
The house is now looked after by Satya Pandey and her husband, Indresh Prasad. Visitors can come for darshan between 5pm and 8pm. No offerings are accepted at the house, while devotees are given laddoos as prasad after darshan.
The room associated with Baba remains the main attraction. His takht and pillow have been preserved and are treated with reverence. Flowers are offered there every day, while the bedsheet is changed every Tuesday. The house where Neem Karoli Baba stayed in Prayagraj. Photo: YouTube screengrab
The family also says that Baba liked bottle gourd, moong dal and besan rotis, which are offered as bhog. How is the house connected to Neem Karoli Baba?
The association between the house and Neem Karoli Baba is said to go back several decades. During a conversation with TimesofIndia.com, Satya shared that Baba and Professor Sudhir Mukherjee first met in 1935 at the Dakshineswar Kali Temple in Kolkata. They are said to have met again in Allahabad in 1950, when Mukherjee was teaching at the university.
According to the family account, Mukherjee was deeply influenced by Baba and built the Church Lane house in 1956.
Satya said that the relationship between Baba and the Mukherjee family grew closer over the years. As the couple had no children, they took Satya into their family as their daughter.‘I will always stay here’
According to Satya, Neem Karoli Baba was a devotee of Lord Hanuman and is regarded by some followers as an incarnation of the deity. She also claims that Baba once appeared before Professor Mukherjee in the form of Hanuman.
She says Baba did not believe in publicising his miracles and maintained that things would happen as they were meant to.
Professor Mukherjee died in 1997, followed by his wife Kamala a few years later. According to the family, Baba had once told Mukherjee that the house belonged to him and that he would always remain there.
The family continues to associate Baba's presence with the house. For devotees, that belief has turned the otherwise ordinary residence into a place of spiritual significance.Hanuman Ansh brings renewed interest
It is worth clarifying that Hanuman Ansh was not shot inside this house. The film presents the life and spiritual journey of Neem Karoli Baba as a cinematic story, which has also renewed interest in places associated with him.
Written and directed by Vishal Chaturvedi, the film is based on his book Divine Detour: That Changed My Life. It follows Laxminarayan, who, after the death of his mother, begins searching for answers about life, death and grief. His journey eventually leads to him becoming known as Neem Karoli Baba.
The film stars Shobhinaw Satyaa, Vihaan Shedge, Chandan K Anand, Purnima Tiwari, Anil Rastogi, Gulshan Pandey and Bhagwandas.
Several Bollywood personalities, including Kangana Ranaut and Varun Dhawan, have praised the film, while the makers have also confirmed a sequel.
Hanuman Ansh has collected Rs 309.15 crore worldwide in 42 days of its release. Amid the film's brilliant box office run, the Prayagraj house offers a different connection to its subject, a space that devotees believe still carries the memory of Neem Karoli Baba.- EndsPublished By: shweta keshriPublished On: Sep 18, 2026 17:22 IST
