When Water Transformed into Ghee: The Miracle of Neem Karoli Baba

Nearly a decade before the establishment of Kanchi Dhaam, Neem Karoli Baba founded the Hanuman Garhi Temple near Nainital in 1951. Discover the divine story of the miracles that occurred during the entire journey, from construction to the inauguration of the temple.

The miraculous happenings surrounding Neem Karoli Baba, especially during the establishment of the Hanuman Garhi Temple in Nainital, evoke a sense of awe and reverence. In a world that often seeks to rationalise the unexplainable, Neem Karoli Baba’s divine presence and his uncanny ability to transform the material world invite us to surrender to a higher truth, where the realms of the possible and impossible converge.

Nestled in the heart of the barren Manora Hill, about two kilometres from Nainital, a spot which was once considered uninhabitable—used as a burial ground for children, feared by locals, and deemed unsuitable for construction—Neem Karoli Baba chose to manifest a divine purpose. In the year 1951, this unassuming hill was to become the site of a temple that would transcend time and space, radiating divine energy for generations to come. At the time, the land was more gravel than rock, a delicate mass of earth, awaiting the blessings of the heavens above. The sky, darkened by storms, seemed to challenge Neem Karoli Baba’s decision, but his faith in the power of devotion and grace was unwavering.

It is said that when Neem Karoli Baba chose this hill, lightning and thunder raged through the sky, as though the elements themselves were paying homage to the divine will that had selected this barren hill. It was a powerful moment of transformation. The storm, though fierce, was but the first of many signs that this place would soon be imbued with the divine presence of Hanuman ji, the son of the wind, who would lend his strength to this sacred venture.

On 15th July 1952, a small but sacred murti of Hanuman ji was placed upon this hill, marking the commencement of an extraordinary journey. Neem Karoli Baba proclaimed that the miniature Hanuman ji would bear the responsibility for the monumental task of bringing this temple and ashram to fruition. With the invocation of the Ramayana and the Hanuman Chalisa, which Neem Karoli Baba initiated and continued for years, the very atmosphere of the hill was purified, transforming the land from a place of fear into one of reverence. Over time, temples dedicated to Lord Shiva, Goddess Parvati, Lord Ganesh, and Lord Kartikeya would rise from this once desolate hilltop, embodying the spiritual evolution of the land itself.

But perhaps the most astonishing miracle occurred in the year 1953, during the consecration ceremony of a larger seven-foot-high murti of Hanuman ji. The rains had been relentless for days, and the devotees, struggling to make preparations for the grand bhandara, were in despair. The temple lacked food, wood, and the means to serve the people.

Amidst this uncertainty, Neem Karoli Baba, with his characteristic nonchalance, asked Haridas Baba, "What will happen tomorrow? There is nothing—no flour, no wood." Neem Karoli Baba laughed, making gestures as if to feast, and directed Haridas Baba to go down to the road.

At the break of dawn, a truck, miraculously arriving on the unpaved road, stopped right at the foot of the hill. The truck was filled with flour, ghee, wood, and all the materials needed for the bhandara. The rain ceased just long enough for a group of porters to carry the supplies up the treacherous hill, and the preparations continued unhindered.

As the sun began to emerge from the clouds, Neem Karoli Baba, with a grand gesture, threw his blanket down and, in a voice that echoed through the hills, declared, “The son of the wind (Hanuman ji) is as strong as the wind itself.” And with that, the clouds parted, the rain stopped, and the sun shone upon the land.

The bhandara, a grand feast for all, continued as planned, but the cooks soon realised that the ghee was running out. Neem Karoli Baba, in his divine play, instructed his attendants to fill water cans and place them in the storeroom. When the cooks expressed their concern, Neem Karoli Baba scolded them and sent them to check the store. To their astonishment, the water had turned into ghee. The food was prepared in abundance, and the bhandara proceeded without further hindrance.

The miracles did not end there. As the temples and buildings grew, Neem Karoli Baba’s divine actions continued to unfold. A second bhandara, planned with little preparation, turned into an event of divine grace. People began to appear from nowhere, as if summoned by the very act of devotion, and the food, prepared in small quantities, was miraculously consumed by hundreds—men, women, children—who had arrived in great numbers. Neem Karoli Baba later revealed that this unscheduled bhandara was a gesture of appeasement for the souls buried in the grounds of Manora Hill. "All dead here are gratified today," Neem Karoli Baba proclaimed, bringing peace to a place that had once been feared.

Such miracles, like the transformation of water into ghee, do not merely serve as spectacles to be admired from a distance. They are reminders of the divine presence that resides in all things—whether in the earth beneath our feet, the sky above, or the hearts of those who choose to surrender to the divine will. Neem Karoli Baba’s life was a testament to the boundless power of devotion and love, and his miracles were not merely acts of wonder but of profound spiritual significance. They were his way of reminding us that the impossible becomes possible when one’s heart is filled with love, faith, and surrender.

Hanuman garhi, once a barren and feared hill, now stands as a beacon of spiritual energy and divine grace. It is a place where the material world gives way to the eternal, where the limits of human understanding are surpassed by the boundless love of the divine. And as we stand in awe of the miracles that took place there, we are reminded of the simple yet profound truth: when faith is unwavering, and love is the guiding force, even the impossible becomes reality.

Ram Ram.