Prayagraj: In a city where faith often spills onto its streets and ghats, an unassuming house tucked into a quiet bylane of Church Lane is drawing a steady stream of devotees. There is no temple sign, no idol and no chorus of prayers to mark its spiritual significance. Yet, every evening, people make their way to 18/4 Church Lane to bow their heads at the modest home where revered spiritual figure Neeb Karori Baba once stayed.The house, otherwise indistinguishable from those around it, has quietly acquired a sacred aura — its walls and rooms now drawing those who believe that the presence of the mystic still lingers here.The house belonged to Prof Sudhir Mukherjee, an economics teacher at Allahabad University, and Baba used to visit him once or twice a year. Though ‘Hanuman Ansh’ film was not shot at the house, references to Baba in the film have renewed interest in him, prompting more people to visit the premises.The house remains open to visitors from 5 pm to 8 pm, with no offerings accepted. They are allowed only to have darshan, after which Satya Pandey, who looks after the house with her husband Indresh Prasad, offers them laddoos as prasad.The association between Baba and Prof Mukherjee goes back nearly a century. Born in Gomor village near Dhaka, Prof Mukherjee first met Baba at Kolkata’s Dakshineswar temple in 1935, where Baba gave him a mantra to chant. When Prof Mukherjee came to Allahabad (now Prayagraj) in 1950 to study and stayed with his maternal uncle in Colonelganj, he met Baba again, as the latter also stayed at the house. After joining Allahabad University as an economics teacher, Prof Mukherjee built the Church Lane house in 1956, inspired by Baba.The house still preserves Baba’s resting and prayer room. His takht and pillow are worshipped daily and flowers are offered there. The bedsheet is changed every Tuesday. His favourite meal — bottle gourd vegetable, moong dal and besan roti — is offered as bhog.“Baba was an incarnation of Lord Hanuman. He did not worship anyone. He had given Dada (Prof Mukherjee) darshan in the form of Hanuman,” said Satya. “Baba used to say, ‘I don’t perform miracles. Things happen on their own.’ He never wanted publicity.”Satya became closely associated with the Mukherjee family after visiting Nainital in 1991, where her son studied at Sainik School, Ghorakhal. She later visited Kainchi Dham, where she was told about Prof Mukherjee. With no children of their own, Prof Mukherjee and his wife Kamla treated her like a daughter. Prof Mukherjee died in 1997, followed a few years later by Kamla.“Baba used to tell Dada that this house was his and that he would always remain here. We can feel his presence even today,” Satya said.
