Lucknow, September 10 (TNA) On the eve of the Mahasamadhi Diwas of Sant Neeb Karori Baba, the Uttar Pradesh tourism department has announced a major initiative to develop a new ‘Neeb Karori Baba Spiritual Circuit’ to connect the saint’s legacy with devotees across India and the world, along with the launch of five special tour packages by the Uttar Pradesh State Tourism Development Corporation (UPSTDC).
Tourism and Culture Minister Jaiveer Singh said that before 2017, insufficient attention was paid to the tourism potential of sites linked to Baba’s life and legacy, but under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s leadership, the government is now preserving these places and transforming them into a structured spiritual tourism experience with better facilities.
As part of the project, about ₹12.93 crore is being spent on developing tourism infrastructure in Firozabad and Farrukhabad, with Akbarpur in Firozabad-regarded as Baba’s birthplace-being developed in phases: ₹8.65 crore has already been spent in phase‑1, while over 60% of the ₹2.22 crore phase‑2 work is complete and targeted for completion by December 2026, and a ₹55.44 lakh rural tourism project will soon be launched there.
In Farrukhabad, a ₹1.51 crore project for the Neeb Karori Ashram has been completed, with accommodation buildings, a main gate and public amenities already in place, while in Akbarpur a multi‑purpose hall, cultural block, modern exhibition hall on Baba’s life and spiritual journey, dining hall, 50‑seat cafeteria, kitchen, toilets and a dormitory for about 60 people are being developed, along with guard rooms, public facilities and stone pathways in phase‑2 and entry gates, signage, mural walls and tourist amenities under the rural tourism component.
The new circuit will link key sites associated with Baba’s spiritual journey, including his samadhi temple in Vrindavan where he took Mahasamadhi in 1973, Akbarpur village in Firozabad, the Neeb Karori Baba Ashram Dham temple in Farrukhabad-where he is believed to have meditated in an underground cave for about 12 years—and Lucknow’s famous Hanuman Setu temple, creating a single tourism route from his birthplace to his samadhi site.
To mark Mahasamadhi Diwas, UPSTDC has launched five special ‘Baba Neeb Karori’ tour packages covering 5‑day, 3‑day and 2‑day itineraries, to be operated from Delhi and Lucknow based on demand, with details available on its website www.upstdc.co.in or by calling 91490 99890. Additional Chief Secretary and Tourism Director General Amrit Abhijat said the new ‘Neeb Karori Baba Circuit’ will add an important dimension to Uttar Pradesh’s famous spiritual tourism circuits, making it easier for devotees and tourists to visit these places and experience Baba’s spiritual, cultural and local heritage up close.