Kainchi Dham from Mukteshwar: route, timings and tips

Kainchi Dham is the ashram of Neem Karoli Baba, in a narrow valley below Bhowali where the road bends twice like a pair of scissors (“kainchi”). It draws visitors from across India and abroad, and it’s an easy day trip from Mukteshwar.

The route

From Mukteshwar, drive via Ramgarh to Bhowali and on down to Kainchi, roughly one and a half to two hours depending on traffic. The road through the orchards of Ramgarh is lovely in spring, when the fruit trees are in blossom.

When to go

• Weekday mornings are calmest.
• Weekends and holidays bring long queues and full parking.
• Every year on 15 June, the ashram’s foundation day, very large crowds arrive and roads jam for hours, so avoid that day unless you want to be part of it.

Know before you go

• Dress modestly and remove your shoes inside.
• Photography is restricted inside the ashram.
• Keep your visit quiet and unhurried; it’s a place of prayer.
• Parking fills up early on busy days; go early or take a cab.

Make a day of it

Stop at Ramgarh’s orchards and Tagore Top on the way, and pick up fruit, juice and preserves at Bhowali. With more time, carry on to Bhimtal for the lake. Or take our Kainchi Dham & Ramgarh trip with a cab and a driver who knows where to stop.

Staying nearby

Mukteshwar makes a quiet base for Kainchi Dham: visit in the morning and be back in the forest by evening. See our stays.

About Neem Karoli Baba

Neem Karoli Baba, known to devotees as Maharaj-ji, was a Hindu saint devoted to Hanuman. The Kainchi ashram grew around a small temple in the 1960s, and it is still run as a place of prayer, with temples to Hanuman and other deities along the river.

Timing your day

• 8 AM: leave Mukteshwar after breakfast.
• 9:30 AM: arrive at Kainchi, before the main crowds.
• 11 AM: drive to Bhowali for fruit and on to Bhimtal if you like.
• Afternoon: back through Ramgarh to the resort.

Frequently asked