UP Tourism Gives Fresh Push To Neem Karori Baba Circuit After Hanuman Ansh's Success

After the success of the Hanuman Ansh tourism initiative, the Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department is now turning its attention to the legacy of Neem Karori Baba, with a new spiritual circuit connecting places associated with the saint's life.

On Mahasamadhi Diwas, the department launched five dedicated tour packages for devotees and tourists, with departures from Lucknow and Delhi. The packages, ranging from two to five days, will cover key places associated with Baba, including his birthplace in Firozabad, his ashram in Farrukhabad, the Samadhi Temple in Vrindavan and Hanuman Setu Temple in Lucknow.

The tourism department is also developing a spiritual trail across Firozabad and Farrukhabad at a combined investment of around Rs 12.93 crore.

In Firozabad, Rs 8.65 crore has been spent on developing Baba's birthplace at Akbarpur. A Rs 2.22-crore Phase-II project is more than 60% complete and is expected to be finished by December 2026. A separate rural tourism project worth Rs 55.44 lakh is also set to begin.

In Farrukhabad, development work at Neem Karori Ashram has been completed at a cost of Rs 1.51 crore.

Tourism and Culture Minister Jaiveer Singh said the government was working to take Baba's legacy to a wider audience. "Neem Karori Baba's death anniversary is an occasion to remember a saint whose message of faith, simplicity and service continues to inspire people across India and the world," Singh said.

He said places associated with Baba's life and legacy had received little attention before 2017 and the government was now working to develop them as tourism destinations.

At Akbarpur, the development includes a multipurpose hall, cultural block, exhibition hall showcasing Baba's life and spiritual journey, dining hall, 50-seater cafeteria, kitchen, toilets and dormitories for around 60 visitors.

The second phase includes a guard room, public-use facilities and stone pathways. The rural tourism project will have an entrance gate, signages, mural walls and other tourist facilities.

At Neem Karori Ashram in Farrukhabad, a traveller's residence, main gate and public-use facilities have been developed.

The new circuit will connect four major locations. These include the Samadhi Temple in Vrindavan, where Baba left his mortal body in 1973; Akbarpur village in Firozabad, his birthplace; Neem Karori Baba Ashram Dham Temple in Farrukhabad, where he is believed to have spent 12 years in an underground cave; and Hanuman Setu Mandir in Lucknow.

ACS and DG Tourism Amrit Abhijat said the new circuit would add another dimension to Uttar Pradesh's spiritual tourism offerings. "The new Neem Karori Baba Circuit will add a meaningful dimension to Uttar Pradesh's famous spiritual tourism circuits by bringing together key places associated with the saint," he said.

The UP State Tourism Development Corporation has introduced two-day, three-day and five-day packages from Delhi and Lucknow based on tourist demand.

Tourists can contact UPSTDC at +91 91490 99890 for details or visit its website.