Hanuman Ansh revives story behind Nibkarori railway station

The brief

Context

Hanuman Ansh is a low-budget film on the life of the spiritual figure Neem Karoli Baba, known in his early years as Lakshman Das. Its unexpected commercial success has revived interest in lesser-known episodes of his life, including a traditional account tied to Nibkarori railway station in Uttar Pradesh's Farrukhabad district. According to that account, a train that Lakshman Das was made to leave for travelling without a ticket could not be restarted until he boarded again, and a station was later established there at his suggestion. The report stresses that no independent railway documentation supports the supernatural element of the episode.

Key facts

• Hanuman Ansh was made on a budget of around Rs 2 crore, according to reports cited in the source.
• By its sixth week the film had crossed Rs 268 crore worldwide, according to trade figures.
• Nibkarori railway station is in Farrukhabad district, Uttar Pradesh, and has the station code NBUE.
• Six regular services are listed as stopping at Nibkarori in current railway timetable databases.
• The Kalindi Express, which halts at Nibkarori, connects Bhiwani with Prayagraj.
• Local services from Nibkarori connect it with Farrukhabad, Tundla, Kasganj and Shikohabad.
• Traditional accounts say Lakshman Das was asked to leave the train by a railway official after a British officer objected to his travelling without a valid ticket.
• Some accounts say the station was initially called Lakshman Das Puri, after the name by which Neem Karoli Baba was then known.

Timeline

1. Period when Neem Karoli Baba was still called Lakshman Das (year not stated in the source)He boards a train without a valid ticket, is made to get off at Nibkarori and sits beneath a tree.
2. Immediately after (per tradition)The train cannot be restarted despite repeated attempts; officials request him to board again, after which it moves.
3. Subsequently (date not stated in the source)A station is established at Nibkarori after he tells officials villagers had to travel far to board trains.
4. Film release period; slow opening followed by word-of-mouth growthHanuman Ansh gains momentum at the box office despite its modest budget.
5. Sixth week of releaseFilm crosses Rs 268 crore worldwide, renewing attention on places linked to Neem Karoli Baba.
6. September 15, 2026Report first published, noting Nibkarori's revived prominence among devotees.

Who has a stake

• Nibkarori railway station and its passengers — A small halt with code NBUE and six regular services now draws attention as a devotional and cinematic landmark.
• Devotees of Neem Karoli Baba — The film amplifies traditional accounts of his miracles and renews pilgrimage-style interest in associated places.
• Makers and team of Hanuman Ansh — A roughly Rs 2 crore film crossing Rs 268 crore worldwide validates low-budget, faith-based storytelling.
• Indian Railways — Custodian of records; the source notes no railway documentation supports the supernatural claim about the stalled train.
• Villagers around Nibkarori — Per tradition, the station was set up because locals had to travel a considerable distance to board trains.
• Historians and fact-checkers — The story tests the line between documented history and faith-based oral tradition.

Why it matters

The story shows how popular cinema can reshape public memory, turning a small railway halt into a site of spiritual and tourist interest. It also illustrates the need to distinguish documented history from oral tradition: the source explicitly notes that no independent railway record supports the miracle claim. Commercially, a Rs 2 crore film crossing Rs 268 crore worldwide signals the pull of devotional content driven by word of mouth.