Did you know that Mark Zuckerberg, the famous founder of Facebook, was influenced by Hinduism in the initial days of starting his company? He visited an Ashram on his India trip and was greatly inspired to further his vision for his company. Today, Facebook has 2.45 billion users globally and is valued at more than $500 billion.
Mark, on the suggestion of Steve Jobs, visited the Kainchi Dham Ashram near Nainital in Uttarakhand, India,. This two-day visit had a great influence on him where he introspected on his vision for his company and how he wanted to help people to connect with each other.
Neem Karoli baba, the spiritual founder of the Ashram, is believed to be an incarnation of Lord Hanuman. He was a follower of “Bhakti Yoga”, the Yoga of devotion. He passed away in 1973. Many American celebrities, including Julia Roberts have been deeply influenced by him.
His Ashram, Kainchi Dham, is situated between two hills which cross each other and the cradle looks like a scissor (kainchi), thus the name. This Ashram has attracted many tech visionaries including Google’s Larry Page.
Mark Zuckerberg was touched by Sanatan Dharma and its profound teachings. India holds a special place for him. He was able to find greater clarity in his vision for his company after his visit to India.
This article is part of the series on Global Celebrities who have been touched by Sanatan Dharma. Read more about The Last Gift of Steve Jobs.