In 1968, the legendary Beatles journeyed to Rishikesh, India, in pursuit of inner peace and higher consciousness. They came to study Transcendental Meditation under the revered spiritual teacher Maharishi Mahesh Yogi at the Chaurasi Kutia Ashram. This name means “Sanctuary of 84 Cottages,” but it is now globally recognised as the Beatles’ Ashram.
Their stay transformed not just their music, but the very identity of Rishikesh, which is now revered as the Yoga capital of the world. During their stay, the Beatles composed 48 songs, many of which became part of their iconic White Album. Classics such as Blackbird, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Dear Prudence, and Happiness Is a Warm Gun were all born in this Himalayan sanctuary, where silence and song danced together under the shade of Sal trees. Their Indian sojourn came shortly after they attended the Maharishi’s seminar in Bangor, Wales, in August 1967.
In February 1968, the core members—John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr—arrived in Rishikesh, accompanied by their wives and partners.
They were joined by a group of 60 aspiring TM teachers, along with other celebrity seekers including Donovan, Mike Love, Paul Horn, and actress Mia Farrow. While Paul McCartney, John Lennon, and George Harrison dived deep into songwriting, Ringo Starr completed his first composition. Of the 48 songs they composed, 18 found their place in the White Album, two were featured in Abbey Road, and others surfaced in their solo albums. The music that emerged from this spiritual retreat remains some of the most intimate and profound work the Beatles ever created.
A special tribute performance by a retro Beatles group was organised during the International Yoga Festival, where they performed every evening for seven days. The landscape was dotted with 84 unique dome-shaped cottages, resembling stone-studded beehives. Each had a circular meditation room, a Western-style toilet, and a tiny stairway leading to a loft meditation chamber. Nature had reclaimed much of the site, but the energy was unmistakably alive.
To the left stood a quadrangle housing a photo gallery of the Beatles and the post office on the left. A modest canteen stood beside it, possibly once a service area. Deeper within the ashram lay the auditorium, adorned with murals of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and the Fab Four.
A lotus-shaped fountain in front hinted at its past as a grand satsang and meditation hall. Across the path were four elegant cottages built exclusively for the Beatles, complete with attached modern bathrooms, bathtubs, and private gardens. Spread across 7.5 hectares within the Rajaji Tiger Reserve, the ashram is not only an architectural wonder but also a marvel of energy science, feng shui, and Vastu Shastra.
Each of the 84 meditation cottages was designed with the meditation space opening eastward, towards the rising sun. The lecture hall faced north-south, optimising learning energy flow. The main entrance was from the northeast (Ishan), believed to channel divine energy into the premises.
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