Neem Karoli Baba, also known as Neeb Karori Baba or Maharaj-ji, is rightly regarded as a Hindu guru. His life and teaching unfolded squarely within the Hindu tradition, and he is especially remembered as a saint of the bhakti, or devotional, path. This devotional orientation is not a peripheral detail but the very heart of how his disciples understood his spiritual stature and role.

He is closely associated with devotion to Hanuman and Ram, central deities in Hinduism, and this devotional focus shaped both his inner practice and outer guidance. His ashrams, rituals, and modes of worship all reflect a thoroughly Hindu spiritual framework, grounded in established devotional and philosophical currents. While his message emphasized love and service that could speak to people of many backgrounds, the roots of that message lay in Hindu bhakti traditions.

Descriptions of his life consistently present him as a renunciant within the Hindu fold, revered as a saint rather than as a mere teacher of techniques or doctrines. His teachings and practices are thus best understood as expressions of Hindu philosophy lived out through intense devotion. For many seekers, his example illustrates how the bhakti path can be both deeply rooted in a particular religious tradition and at the same time open-hearted toward all beings.