Neem Karoli Baba, also known as Neeb Karori Baba or Maharaj-ji, is generally understood to have lived from around 1900 or 1901 until his passing on September 11, 1973. The uncertainty surrounding his exact birth date is itself characteristic of many traditional Indian saints, whose lives often resist precise historical framing. What is clear, however, is that his earthly presence spanned the first three-quarters of the twentieth century, a period of immense social and spiritual ferment in India.

His departure from the physical body occurred on September 11, 1973, in Vrindavan, India, a place long associated with devotional worship and the ethos of bhakti. Within that finite historical span, his role as a guru unfolded over several decades in the mid-twentieth century, during which he became a focal point for seekers drawn to the path of devotion. Both Indian devotees and Western aspirants found in him a living embodiment of bhakti yoga, and his influence radiated far beyond the specific dates of his birth and death.

Thus, while the calendar can only approximate his arrival—around 1900 or 1901—and fix the date of his departure—September 11, 1973—the spiritual arc of his life is remembered less for chronological precision and more for the depth of devotion it inspired. The temporal markers simply frame a life that, for many, continues to function as a timeless reference point for the practice of love, surrender, and remembrance of the divine.