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Beatles Ashram
30°06′35″N 78°18′46″E / 30.109745°N 78.312774°E Beatles Ashram (बीटल्स आश्रम), also known as Chaurasi Kutia (चौरासी कुटिया), is an ashram close to the north Indian city of Rishikesh in the state of Uttarakhand. It is located on the eastern bank of the Ganges river, opposite the Muni Ki Reti area of Rishikesh, in the foothills of the Himalayas. During the 1960s and 1970s, as the International Academy of Meditation, it was the training centre for students of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who devised the Transcendental Meditation technique. The ashram gained international attention between February and April 1968 when the English rock band the Beatles studied meditation there, along with celebrities such as Donovan, Mia Farrow and Mike Love. It was the setting for the band's most productive period as songwriters, where they composed most of the songs for their self-titled double album, also known as the "White Album".
The site was abandoned in the 1990s and reverted to the local forestry department in 2003, after which it became a popular visiting place for fans of the Beatles. Although derelict and overrun by jungle, the site was officially opened to the public in December 2015. It is now known as Beatles Ashram and held an exhibition in February 2018 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Beatles' arrival in Rishikesh.
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi leased the site from the state forestry department of Uttar Pradesh in 1961. It sits on a 150 feet (46 m)-high cliff overlooking the Ganges river, on a hill known as Manikoot, and comprises 14 acres (57,000 m2) of land surrounded by jungle. The facility was built in 1963 with a $100,000 gift from American heiress Doris Duke. Referred to locally as the Chaurasi Kutia ashram, and by some meditators as Shankaracharya Nagar, it was named the "International Academy of Meditation" by the Maharishi. It was one of many ashrams in the Rishikesh area, which is a place of religious significance and known as the "yoga capital of the world".
The ashram is located due east of the Muni Ki Reti area of Rishikesh, in the north of the city, and on the opposite bank of the river. In the late 1960s, access to the cliff-top facility was possible via the Lakshman Jhula footbridge, 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) north-east of the centre of Rishikesh, at the village of Tapovan, followed by a 2-mile walk back downriver and a steep climb up the rocky path to Manikoot. Alternatively, a ferry service was available, from close to what is now the Ram Jhula suspension bridge, built in 1986. Before the opening of Ram Jhula, vehicles crossed the Ganges over the narrow bridge at Haridwar, south of Rishikesh, and then travelled 13 miles along a twisty and potholed dirt road to the ashram.
In November 2020, the Janki Setu (or Sita Pul) bridge opened to the public. The 274-metre bridge allows access for two-wheelers and pedestrians, and further reduces the distance to the ashram.
The training centre was designed to suit Western habits and was described variously as "luxurious" and "seedy". It was built to accommodate several dozen people and each of its stone bungalows contained five rooms. According to author Susan Shumsky, a TM devotee whose first retreat at the ashram was in 1970, the facility was "under constant construction". In addition to several stone huts, there were accommodation blocks, known as puri, each containing six self-contained rooms. The Maharishi's residence was a long, modern-style bungalow located away from the other buildings. According to journalist Raymond Zhong, who visited the site in 2015, the name Chaurasi Kutia is Hindi for "84 Huts". He also comments on the less traditional design aspects: "One four-story building has a stepped pyramid design and multifoil arches above the doorways, and on the roof there are massive white structures shaped like ostrich eggs ..." Shumsky writes that the Maharishi's bungalow was a "simple brick, concrete, and stone" building, and far from the lavish accommodation commonly depicted in the media in the aftermath to the Beatles' stay at the ashram.
The compound was surrounded by a wire fence, which served as a barrier against the abundant wildlife in the interior. Beyond the fence, the forest was thick with teak, guava and sissoso[clarification needed] trees, while inside were gardens filled with flowerbeds of red hibiscus. At the entrance to the site, there was a gatehouse, signposted as the "Inquiry Office", and a white picket fence inside the wire fence. Along the cliff edge, a path led down to the shoreline.
The Maharishi addressed his students in the two-storey lecture hall. This high-ceilinged structure had long windows that, as with its roof, provided a popular habitat for birds and monkeys. The kitchen block was towards the rear of the site. Meals were taken communally in an open dining area, over which stood a wooden trellis.
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Beatles Ashram
30°06′35″N 78°18′46″E / 30.109745°N 78.312774°E Beatles Ashram (बीटल्स आश्रम), also known as Chaurasi Kutia (चौरासी कुटिया), is an ashram close to the north Indian city of Rishikesh in the state of Uttarakhand. It is located on the eastern bank of the Ganges river, opposite the Muni Ki Reti area of Rishikesh, in the foothills of the Himalayas. During the 1960s and 1970s, as the International Academy of Meditation, it was the training centre for students of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who devised the Transcendental Meditation technique. The ashram gained international attention between February and April 1968 when the English rock band the Beatles studied meditation there, along with celebrities such as Donovan, Mia Farrow and Mike Love. It was the setting for the band's most productive period as songwriters, where they composed most of the songs for their self-titled double album, also known as the "White Album".
The site was abandoned in the 1990s and reverted to the local forestry department in 2003, after which it became a popular visiting place for fans of the Beatles. Although derelict and overrun by jungle, the site was officially opened to the public in December 2015. It is now known as Beatles Ashram and held an exhibition in February 2018 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Beatles' arrival in Rishikesh.
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi leased the site from the state forestry department of Uttar Pradesh in 1961. It sits on a 150 feet (46 m)-high cliff overlooking the Ganges river, on a hill known as Manikoot, and comprises 14 acres (57,000 m2) of land surrounded by jungle. The facility was built in 1963 with a $100,000 gift from American heiress Doris Duke. Referred to locally as the Chaurasi Kutia ashram, and by some meditators as Shankaracharya Nagar, it was named the "International Academy of Meditation" by the Maharishi. It was one of many ashrams in the Rishikesh area, which is a place of religious significance and known as the "yoga capital of the world".
The ashram is located due east of the Muni Ki Reti area of Rishikesh, in the north of the city, and on the opposite bank of the river. In the late 1960s, access to the cliff-top facility was possible via the Lakshman Jhula footbridge, 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) north-east of the centre of Rishikesh, at the village of Tapovan, followed by a 2-mile walk back downriver and a steep climb up the rocky path to Manikoot. Alternatively, a ferry service was available, from close to what is now the Ram Jhula suspension bridge, built in 1986. Before the opening of Ram Jhula, vehicles crossed the Ganges over the narrow bridge at Haridwar, south of Rishikesh, and then travelled 13 miles along a twisty and potholed dirt road to the ashram.
In November 2020, the Janki Setu (or Sita Pul) bridge opened to the public. The 274-metre bridge allows access for two-wheelers and pedestrians, and further reduces the distance to the ashram.
The training centre was designed to suit Western habits and was described variously as "luxurious" and "seedy". It was built to accommodate several dozen people and each of its stone bungalows contained five rooms. According to author Susan Shumsky, a TM devotee whose first retreat at the ashram was in 1970, the facility was "under constant construction". In addition to several stone huts, there were accommodation blocks, known as puri, each containing six self-contained rooms. The Maharishi's residence was a long, modern-style bungalow located away from the other buildings. According to journalist Raymond Zhong, who visited the site in 2015, the name Chaurasi Kutia is Hindi for "84 Huts". He also comments on the less traditional design aspects: "One four-story building has a stepped pyramid design and multifoil arches above the doorways, and on the roof there are massive white structures shaped like ostrich eggs ..." Shumsky writes that the Maharishi's bungalow was a "simple brick, concrete, and stone" building, and far from the lavish accommodation commonly depicted in the media in the aftermath to the Beatles' stay at the ashram.
The compound was surrounded by a wire fence, which served as a barrier against the abundant wildlife in the interior. Beyond the fence, the forest was thick with teak, guava and sissoso[clarification needed] trees, while inside were gardens filled with flowerbeds of red hibiscus. At the entrance to the site, there was a gatehouse, signposted as the "Inquiry Office", and a white picket fence inside the wire fence. Along the cliff edge, a path led down to the shoreline.
The Maharishi addressed his students in the two-storey lecture hall. This high-ceilinged structure had long windows that, as with its roof, provided a popular habitat for birds and monkeys. The kitchen block was towards the rear of the site. Meals were taken communally in an open dining area, over which stood a wooden trellis.