Kainchi Dham, a quiet shrine tucked in Uttarakhand’s hills, is beating to the rhythm of a blockbuster. After the release of Hanuman Ansh, crowds have turned the temple’s quiet lanes into a festival of faith, prompting its creator, Dr Vishal Chaturvedi, to step onto the pilgrimage path and issue a warning.
The ashram, long associated with saint Neem Karoli Baba, has always drawn seekers, but the film’s buzz has amplified the influx into a tidal wave. Thousands of followers, lured by the movie’s depiction of divine miracles, now queue for a chance to touch the very stones that the screen immortalised.
In an Instagram clip that went viral, Chaturvedi urged visitors to check the site’s conditions before heading out, stressing the safety of women and children. He suggested alternative stops—Neem Karoli’s village, Vrindavan—so devotees could still experience the spiritual pull without getting stuck in traffic or overcrowded queues.
The surge lines up with a government holiday on October 2, followed by Saturday and Sunday, giving devotees three consecutive days to travel. Mussoorie’s roads were already jammed Friday, and the stretch between Mussoorie and Dehradun saw a traffic swell that left many motorists stuck for hours.
All this drama unfolds while Hanuman Ansh continues its march on the box‑office front—59 days in and ₹383.56 cr grossed, with a ₹324.73 cr net in India—making the film one of the most lucrative releases of the year. The movie’s ‘miraculous’ business claim has turned the ashram into a pilgrimage hotspot, turning cinema fans into faith seekers.
As the film rolls on, the temple’s gates are likely to stay open, but the crowds will keep watching the director’s cautionary notes while scrolling through the latest reviews. And for those who can’t wait, the alternative sites promise a quieter, yet equally sacred, experience.