50 years ago, The Beatles made the journey from the UK to India to visit and stay at Maharishi Yogi's ashram in Rishikesh to learn and practise transcendental meditation.
Why did The Beatles come to India?
The Beatles met the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi for the first time in the year 1967 in London. Lead guitarist George Harrison's wife had signed up to attend a session after coming across a newspaper advertisement. After being unable to complete a 10-day programme due to the untimely death of band manager Brian Epstein, the band decided to explore their meditational journey in India at Maharishi's ashram. John Lennon and Harrison, two of the most dedicated meditators among the Beatles, arrived with their wives, Cynthia Lennon and Pattie Boyd on 15 February, 1968. The other two arrived three days later, Paul with his girlfriend Jane Asher and Ringo with his wife Maureen.
While several controversies ensued post the visit, the time The Beatles spent at the ashram is often reffered to as a period during which the band was at the height of their creative prowess. While in Rishikesh, they wrote 48 songs for the seminal White Album, that featured songs such as Blackbird, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Dear Prudence and Happiness Is A Warm Gun.
Years later, the ashram— called Chaurasi Kutia for the 84 sheltered structures within the property—remains to be a pilgrimage spot for fans of the band, despite the state of disrepair it is in.
Here's what life in the ashram looked like in 1968:
- Hotels & HomestaysThis homestay in the Himalayas is for quietude and learning new skills
