(A brief Introduction)
A young sadhu of tender age with matted hair, wearing a loin- cloth and
holding a chimta (a pair of tongs) and a kamandal in his hand was going
to Farrukhabad, probably to bathe in the river Ganges. Attracted by his
age and the glow on his face, the villagers implored him to settle down
in the village. The sadhu assured them that he would be back after
having bathed in the river Ganges. And thus Baba Neem Karoli Maharaj
stayed in the village by the name of Baba Lachhmandas (Lakshamandas).
There is a village Akbarpur in Nagau Municipality of Agra district in
Uttar Pradesh. Born in a respectable and prosperous Brahmin family of
the village, Babaji, renouncing the rich ancestral heritage of land,
left home in childhood and engaged himself in Yog Sadhna at a village,
Babania, at a distance of about 40 k.m. away from Morvi town in Gujarat
and at other places. Born for the welfare of people and a recluse since
birth, the behavior of the step- mother was only an excuse for his
running away from home.
Babaji performed his Sadhna in a pond, in Babania. He installed a
Hanuman Murti on an open space by the pond. Afterwards a temple was
built there. But how could a wandering sadhu like to be confined to one
place and the purpose for which he was born (welfare of people) be
fulfilled by staying at one place. Therefore, after 6 or 7 years,
leaving the temple under the care of Rambai, he wandered about towards
North and made the village Neeb Karori, his new venue of Sadhna, as
stated earlier. He got an underground cave built and engaged himself in
Sadhna secretly for the purification of body, abode of three gunas -
purity (sat), passion (raja), inertia (tama).
Nobody had the liberty of going into the cave without permission. Milk,
fruits, and other edibles were placed outside. None knew when Baba came
out for ablutions and to have bath. Once an attendant named Gopal
entered the cave without permission and seeing the sight there, he ran
out dropping the bowl full of milk and fainted. Babaji was lying in a
trance and huge snakes were playing on his chest.
According to the aged devotees of the village, Dabaji did many
miraculous lilas there. Keeping his identity concealed, he treated the
villagers as friends. He performed miraculous deeds in fun and sport
such as, to disappear from a branch of a tree and to appear on another
in the mango grove. Having remained in the cave, to reach Ghatiaghat,
Farrukhabad to bathe in the Ganges or arrive at Vrindavan before the
villagers who travelled by fast moving vehicles and then to be found
shut in his cave by them, on their return.
In a newly dug well yielding saline water he emptied a few bags of
sugar in the well to make its water sweet, this well yields sweet water
till date.
To bless the father of Shriram Sevak with a son in consequence of
getting a well dug by the command of Maharaj.
Shop of a trader caught fire as he had not supplied bricks for the
construction of the courtyard of Hanuman temple as promised, and on
begging pardon to put it out by sprinkling a few drops of water from
his Kamandal without moving from his seat. After the fire had been
extinguished, a little quantity of chillies (pepper) was found burnt.
Ignoring Maharajji's command, the feet of a man got stuck in the rails
for stealing water-melon from the fair organized by a person, and moved
by his anxiety, Maharaj sent a message to him, to eat the whole melon
then and there, and the man got released after having eaten it. These
miraculous instances cannot be counted.
Even then, the simple villagers were not able to recognize his mystic
powers. Because of his natural simple behavior all that was merely a
magical feat for them. After sometime Baba moved into another cave and
sometime Baba moved into another cave and installed a Hanuman Murti
near it. A month long Yajna followed by Bhandara was performed. At that
time, Babaji got his matted hair removed. But wherever the Satva
(purity) is on rise, the Tamsik (dark) tendencies try to counter it. As
Babaji regarded all people equal "Without any distinction of class and
caste, the Brahmin group of the village felt aggrieved. Moreover, when
the gold donated by a rich man was returned instead of giving it to
them, they got angry. Hence, when Babaji had gone to bathe in the
Ganges on a certain day, they returned the ghee-tins brought by a man
for bhandara and incited him against Babaji. When Babaji came to know
about it, he left the village and went away to Kilaghat (Farrukhabad).
The fact is that Babaji, who was always benign to people, wanted to
extend the field of his welfaristic activities. How could he have tied
himself up to Neebkarori for long? The incident of ghee was only an
excuse for his leaving the village. Still he came to the village
secretly and left without meeting the villagers. By adopting the name
Neebkarori, the place of his sadhana and making it symbolic of his
personality, identity and name, he immortalized it and made it famous
all over the world.
During his stay at Kilaghat, Babaji visited Etah, Mainpuri, and other
places for welfaristic activities. The Rajput regiment was at that time
stationed in Fatehgarh fort. The Commanding Officer, Colonel Mckenna
was very strict and despised the yogis and sadhus. But the army
personnel had a great regard for Babaji and secretly offered him milk,
fruits etcetera. But in which mood, none knows! Babaji became
determined to bring a change in the Colonel's heart. On a certain day
when he had gone out, he went to his room and lay down on his bed. The
orderly requested him not to do so, but he ignored him. When the
Colonel came back, he found a half-naked sadhu lying on his bed. 'He
lost temper and scolded him using abusive language (it is said that he
even lashed him), but Babaji went on grinning. The Colonel was stunned
to see Babaji smiling even after so much of disgrace. It is not known
what Colonel Mckenna saw in that smile that he had an instant
transformation of heart.
He apologized to Babaji and offered milk and fruit. He also issued
orders that ever afterwards Babaji should be let in and be offered milk
and fruit. Maharaj's touch only had such a miraculous effect that he
became his devotee all through his life. He was Babaji's first foreign
devotee.
Babaji in his mood told the Colonel "Go, you will become the General".
Mckenna could not believe it then, but he became a General and
commanding the far-East Command, he fought against the Japanese in the
Second World War. By Babaji's Grace, even after a great massacre and
the defeat of English there, he safely went back to England.
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