The ashram, abandoned in 1997, is slowly being
reclaimed by the forest and overrun by wild animals.
But the Uttarakhand forest department, which owns the
land, has come up with a way to utilise its fame and
the Beatles connection.
The
forest department wants to promote eco-tourism - by
introducing bird watching and a nature walk. The
ashram is being spruced up and will be thrown open for
tourists this month.
Beatlemania in the hills
Maharishi
Mahesh Yogi leased 15 acres of land from the forest
department for setting up his ashram in 1961.
Seven
years later, at the peak of Beatlemania around the
world, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison
and Ringo Starr arrived in India to take a three-month
course in Transcendental Meditation, in February 1968.
The
boys from Liverpool came with their friends, and the
trip had a deep impact on their lives and creativity.
But
things didn't go according to plan - none of the
Beatles ended up completing the course. Just 10 days
in, Starr, the drummer, got into an argument with the
Yogi and left. McCartney stayed for five weeks, while
Lennon and Harrison departed after eight weeks.
Among
other things, including a breakdown of their
relationships with the Yogi, the group and their
friends were troubled by the bevy of monkeys and
mosquitoes.
Decades later, the Yogi failed to
get the land lease renewed, and his followers and
staff had to vacate the premises.
Sprucing things up
A
signboard outside the main entrance gate of the
ashram used to caution visitors that the property
belonged to the Rajaji National Park and the common
public didn't have permission to enter. Despite this,
foreign tourists managed to visit the Ashram by
bribing the forest guards.
The forest
department's decision will not only make things easier
for tourists, but also be a source of income for the
government, since it can levy an official entry fee.
Though
the vandalised buildings tell a sad tale of the
ruined ashram, the clean pavements showcase some
positive changes. To stop the entry of wild animals -
like elephants and leopards - the forest staff is
repairing the broken boundary wall of the ashram.
Rajendra
Nautiyal, ranger of the Rajaji National Park's Gauri
Range, says: "We have cleared the bushes and removed
the garbage. The construction of a nature trail - from
the main gate to Mahesh Yogi's bungalow - has
finished. In the first phase, we will be introducing
nature walk and bird watching here, and later, a
cafeteria and a museum will be established."
The main attractions
Among
all the old buildings, the Yogi's bungalow, where
Starr reportedly had the argument with him, will
remain a major attraction for Beatles fans. Locating
the bungalow and reaching it was difficult - due to
Lantana bushes - but now, the pavement leading to the
building has been cleared and a sign board is being
placed to provide information to visitors.
Besides
this, a graffiti painting on The Beatles and Mahesh
Yogi will help the visitors retrace the band's journey
to the Himalayas.
A
large number of foreign tourists come to Rishikesh to
learn meditation and yoga. According to a rough
estimate, Rishikesh annually gets about 35,000 foreign
visitors. With the ashram reopening, there'll be an
added attraction for foreign tourists to visit.
Positive reactions
Two-time
Emmy award winning Hollywood filmmaker Paul Saltzman
was invited by The Beatles to stay with them at the
ashram, and clicked some of the most intimate
photographs of the group. He penned a pictorial book
'The Beatles in Rishikesh' on his time at the ashram.
Asked
to comment on the reopening of the ashram, Saltzman
said: "I definitely feel the ashram being reopened
will draw more and more Beatles fans to Rishikesh. But
to make the ashram a major attraction, the need is to
refurbish it with photographs of The Beatles and other
artifacts, to create a fantastic and more historic
environment."
Mahesh
Yogi's disciples are understandably thrilled with the
developments. Sixty-four-year-old Tony Ellis, who was
associated with the ashram for over three decades and
presently lives in the US, says: "It is a brilliant
idea to connect eco-tourism with the legacy of the
ashram. The forest department should use the
popularity of The Beatles and Mahesh Yogi for the
preservation and promotion of the place."
Even
among the locals, there's excitement about these
developments. As Chandramohan Negi from Kunao village
says, "It's better late than never. It is a positive
development and we are happy that the heritage
building will now be saved. Mahesh Yogi made
meditation popular worldwide, and the Beatles visit to
Rishikesh boosted the tourism industry in this part of
the world."
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