Beatles Ashram Rishikesh Amazing Story
The Beatles Ashram, also known as Chaurasi Kutia, is located in the town of Rishikesh, India. It gained global recognition in the late 1960s when the famous rock band, The Beatles, stayed there to learn Transcendental Meditation from Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.
In February 1968, The Beatles, along with their wives and girlfriends, traveled to Rishikesh to partake in a course on Transcendental Meditation. The ashram, situated amidst the lush forests of the Himalayas, provided a serene and spiritual environment for them to focus on meditation and seek inspiration for their music.
The band lived in small, simple meditation huts within the ashram premises. They spent their days attending meditation sessions and lectures by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the founder of the Transcendental Meditation technique. The music band were not only seeking inner peace but also hoping to find creative inspiration for their new songs.
During their stay, The Beatles wrote approximately 48 songs, many of which formed the basis for their critically acclaimed album, “The White Album.” Some of their most famous songs, like “Dear Prudence,” “Back in the USSR,” and “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da,” were composed in the serene surroundings of the ashram.
Apart from their meditation practices and music composition, the Beatles also enjoyed the natural beauty surrounding the ashram. They would often take walks along the Ganges River and explore the nearby forests. They even had encounters with local wildlife, including a leopard prowling the premises, which inspired them to write the song “The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill.”
Despite their initial enthusiasm, the Beatles’ time at the ashram came to an abrupt end when they heard rumors of inappropriate behavior by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Feeling disheartened by the allegations, they decided to leave the ashram before completing their planned three-month stay.
After the Beatles departed, the ashram fell into disrepair, and nature began to reclaim the buildings. It was abandoned for many years until it was finally opened to the public in 2015 as a tourist attraction. Today, visitors can explore the ashram and see the graffiti-covered walls, reminiscent of The Beatles’ time there.
The Beatles Ashram
In Rishikesh holds a special place in music and pop culture history. It is a place where one of the most iconic bands of all time sought peace, inspiration, and creativity, leaving behind an enduring legacy in the form of their groundbreaking music.
