The Beatles Ashram Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India

At The Beatles Ashram Rishikesh, Uttarakhand

In The Footsteps Of The Beatles In Rishikesh, Uttarakhand

” The Beatles crossed the Lakshman Jhula to the eastern banks of the Ganga more than half a century ago to keep their tryst with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi”, says our well-informed guide Raju Gusain as we walk on the relatively new Ram Jhula towards the Beatles Ashram Rishikesh.

We are literally walking in the footsteps of the Beatles as we head towards the Beatles Ashram Rishikesh, Uttarakhand. For many in our group which consisted of people from across the world, this is a pilgrimage of another sort, it is Beatlemania at its best.

Liverpool To The Beatles Ashram Rishikesh

So what was the legendary band with roots in Liverpool doing in Rishikesh in the sixties?

Did the Beatles meditate? Who went with the Beatles to India? 

Who did the Beatles meet in India? Who was the guru of the Beatles?

Who was George Harrison’s guru? Who was the only Beatle to not become a full-time vegetarian? Where was John Lennon buried?

Raju Gusain found himself facing a barrage of questions from the motley group which consisted of visitors from India, Germany, US, Myanmar, Hong Kong, Thailand, and other parts of the world. Everyone seemed to be afflicted by Beatlemania and was looking for some or the other Beatle trivia. Raju guide unfazed by the volley of questions led us on as we crossed the suspension bridge known as Ram Jhula in single file, giving right of passage to the noisy bikes and pedestrians in a hurry.

As we moved along the heritage trail that leads to the Beatles Ashram Rishikesh, Raju regaled us with Beatle trivia referring to a tattered diary which he guarded like a treasured heirloom which it must have been. He was a walking encyclopedia of the Beatles and the time they spent in the Beatles Ashram Rishikesh. He informed that when the Beatles arrived at Rishikesh, they crossed the old suspension bridge and made the use of mules to reach their destination which was then the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Ashram.

The Beatles had attended a lecture by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in London and had a 90-minute private session with him. They found his concept of Transcendental Meditation to be something that could satisfy their spiritual yearnings and hence they. The Beatles, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr arrived in Rishikesh, India along with their entourage to participate in a 3-month long course on Transcendental Meditation. Ringo Starr, the drummer of the band went back after just 10 days while Paul McCartney stayed for a month and left. Lennon headed back home with George Harrison and his entire entourage after a stay of two months.

The period that the music legends spent in what is known today as the Beatles Ashram is regarded as their most creative and prolific periods. The Beatles Ashram Rishikesh was the place that was the sanguine sanctuary that enabled the Beatles to pen more than 30 of their amazing numbers.

The Beatles Ashram Rishikesh

We walked along the briskly flowing Ganga river, treading the same path that the Beatles had walked on more than half a century ago.

We passed many ashrams including the famous Geeta Bhavan, Paramarth Ashram. Cows and calves gazed at us with scant interest. we passed shops that lined the street on either side selling everything from Rudraksha beads to colored bead necklaces, from local snacks to cups of coffee.

We reached the unassuming gates of the Beatles Ashram which is officially known as Chaurasi Kutia Ashram. The name which translates into English as 84 Caves Ashram is derived from the fact the Ashram originally had 84 small meditation caves.

We trooped behind Raju as to set the tone he played some Beatle classics on his phone. From the entrance, a concrete path wound upwards and disappeared inside the sprawling campus.

Right near the entrance, strange structures captivated our attention. These structures looked hauntingly enchanting but abandoned. The structures consisted of small living quarters with a dome-shaped enclosure for meditation at the top. A signboard informed that ” these structures were constructed from 1976-78 to accommodate Sanyasis and Brahmacharis for practicing their Sadhana. The round stones used in them were taken from the shore of the Ganga”. These structures came in much later, almost a decade after the Beatles stayed here.

Inside The Beatles Ashram Rishikesh

The Chaurasi Kutiya Ashram or the Beatles Ashram stretches across a shaded forest on a hillock that overlooks the eternally flowing Ganga. It now falls within the area of the Rajaji Tiger Reserve. Shady trees shelter the forlorn and abandoned Ashram which lay covered with vegetation and at the mercy of vandals and trespassers for long. However, since 2015 it is under the efficient care and upkeep of the Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board who has done a good job of restoring the crumbling Ashram and opened it to visitors. However, the vandals and nature have done their job, and most of the structures are shorn of their furnishings and bare, even doors, windows, and entire roofs or walls are missing. But still, one is swept away by a strange feeling of bliss inside the peaceful environs of the Ashram.

You’ve Got Mail – Snailmail

“Constructed in the early 1960s this post office was used for official mails by Maharishiji and by guests staying for residential courses”. says a billboard in front of a rickety building which stands desolately, a shadow of its former self. It must have been a hive of activity in the sixties with probably John Lennon and George Harrison walking up to check if they had got any letters from home or even possibly to send a postcard home.

Food For Music

A crumbling building with some enigmatic graffiti is all that remains of what was once a bustling kitchen that rustled up pure vegetarian fare for its guests. The Beatles would have relished the food cooked in this very kitchen which lies desolate and forlorn today.

The only bright spots in the gloomy looking structures are some interesting and vibrant graffiti. A huge grey mural of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi looks down with mystical eyes at you.

Elsewhere naked red eyes look eerily at you.

The Word

A few crumbling walls with a few murals of colorful designs is all that remains of the erstwhile printing press of the Ashram. “Constructed in the early 1960s this press was used for printing literature on TM. The first edition of world famous books, ‘The Science of Being”, and, ‘The Art of Living”, as well as Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s commentary on the first six chapters of the Bhagavad Gita were printed in this building.”, says the ubiquitous signboard that stands in front of the printing press.

The Ved Bhavan

One of the very important structures that stand in fairly good condition at the Beatles Ashram is what is called the Ved Bhavan. This was the place which served as a classroom for conducting courses on Transcendental Meditation as well as lectures.

As you enter the huge hall which lies threadbare, you are met by a stunning mural of the Beatles with their Guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. The giant figures that are painted on one end of the rectangular hall dwarf you and leave you with a feeling of awe. The other end of the hall has a stage with another mural of the Beatles.

The side walls too have colorful graffiti including a mural of the Sitar Maestro Pt. Ravishankar and themes of love and peace.

Panchkuti

As we walked along the path that leads through the 7.5 hectares Chaurasi Kutiya Ashram that was built in 1961 by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, we came across some quaint structures that somehow reminded us of Jantar Mantar in Delhi and elsewhere. These were actually the residential quarters for participants who enrolled in courses on Transcendental Meditation. These structures have a unique architecture with domes at the top and the complex of these structures is known as Panchkuti.

Chaurasi Kutiya

Two narrow passages that run parallel to each other open into a large hall. This hall which now is open to the elements at one end is the historic hall which saw the 25th birthday celebrations of George Harrison.

A small stage in the occupies pride of place in the hall which is covered with murals on either side.

Two side corridors that flank the hall lead to 42 small cave-like meditation chambers. These 84 cave-like meditation chambers give the name Chaurasi Kutiya Ashram to the place.

“This is the place where George Harrison cut the birthday cake that came all the way from Dehradun as in those days Rishikesh did not have a proper bakery”, says our guide Raju as he brings alive those moments of half a century ago. “The cake cutting ceremony was followed by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi blessing George Harrison after which the hall resonated to the sounds of music by the Beatles as well as other local singers who had been invited from Dehradun”. concluded Raju.

If you step outside the hall into the open space outside, you can see the river Ganga serenely flowing down below in all its enchanting grandeur.

The House of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

A single storey structure stands aloof in the Beatles Ashram. This is the house where Maharishi Mahesh Yogi stayed. The house commands lovely views of the river Ganga as well as the western banks of Rishikesh and looks tranquil. The building is enveloped in silence today, its bare rooms look dark and miserable adorned with graffiti by vandals and trespassers. But it here that the Beatles and their Guru used to have long chats. This was the very place that John Lennon had his last discussion with his Guru. It was more of an argument than a discussion.

One more month still remained for the completion of the 3-month course, with just John Lennon and George Harrison left from the Beatles. At this juncture, it is said that one of the members of their entourage informed John about the “wrong intentions” of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. He alleged that the spiritual Guru was manipulating the Beatles and even pointed out at sexual misconduct with female members of their entourage.

This fueled John Lennon’s anger and he had an argument with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and abruptly left the Ashram, taking George Harrison and the rest of his entourage with him. His frustration and anger burst into music in the form of, ‘Sexy Sadie”, which he wrote and composed on his return home.

It may be said that the allegations against Maharishi Mahesh Yogi were never proven, In fact, many years later George Harrison too acknowledged that there was no solid basis for the allegations against the Maharishi.

The Photo Gallery

Some rare photographs of the Beatles and other celebrity guests at the Chaurasi Kutiya Ashram are on display at a well maintained Photo Gallery.

The photos are the work of Paul Saltzman who was in the Ashram in 1968, during the same time that the Beatles were there, to learn Transcendental Meditation. He photographed the Beatles, Cynthia Lennon, Jane Asher, Mia Farrow, Donovan, Mike Love, and others during his stay. He has also authored a book “The Beatles In India”, and a feature film documentary by the same name.

Mini Guide To Beatles Ashram Rishikesh

Logistics

The Beatles Ashram is officially known as Chaurasi Kutiya and is located in the town of Rishikesh in the northern state of Uttarakhand in India.

The nearest airport is Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun, at a distance of about 31 kilometers.

Rishikesh is located about 251 kilometers from the Indian capital city of Delhi.

A 2 kilometers walk from the suspension bridge Ram Jhula leads to the Beatles Ashram.

Tickets & Timings

The Beatles Ashram Rishikesh is open from 10 AM to 4 PM. Currently, there is an entry fee of Rs 150 for Indian adults and Rs 600 for foreign nationals.

Tips & Tricks

• The walk is pleasant enough but in the summers it is better to have a hat or umbrella
• Carry your own water, there is a small cafeteria at the Ashram that serves hot beverages and snacks
• Plan for a half day visit to the Ashram to cover everything at a moderate pace
• Look out for the murals and graffiti and some enchanting views of the river Ganga

Other Places To Visit In Rishikesh

The Beatles Ashram is one of the attractions of Rishikesh, but there are many other places to see and things to experience in Rishikesh and the vicinity. Some of these are as under:

Lakshman Jhula

The old suspension bridge on which the Beatles crossed over from the western banks to walk towards the Ashram

Ganga Aarti

One of the highlights of any visit to Rishikesh is witnessing the ethereal Ganga aarti on the banks of the  Ganga

River Rafting

Rishikesh is considered to be one of the best places for river rafting in the world. river rafting in the rapids of the Ganga is an experience of a different level altogether.

Walking through the peaceful environs of the Beatles Ashram was like a walk back in time to the sixties. A time when the world was just waking up to the power of youth and breaking free from the shackles of centuries of conservative prejudices and bigotry. The voice of the Beatles was one such wave that shook the world with their music and it was nice to know that a significant part of their music took birth here on the banks of the sacred Ganga.

We were hosted by the Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board. However, the views and opinions expressed here are our own.

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