Guide to The Beatles Ashram, Rishikesh

 

The Beatles Ashram in Rishikesh, India captures a moment in time

In February 1968, The Beatles followed the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi to India to stay in his Rishikesh ashram (now known as The Beatles Ashram, Rishikesh). They wrote dozens of songs while in Rishikesh, including much of the White Album. It was a very big deal at the time, very significant, that the four most famous and successful pop music stars in the world would drop out for three months to study meditation in India. This is an excerpt from a book on The Beatle written by Paul Saltzman, a fellow Canadian who was coincidentally at the ashram at the same time. 

“Early in 1968, at the height of their popularity and arguably the most famous people on the planet, the Beatles traveled to India, to the foothills of the Himalayas, to find something that all their fame and fortune could not give them. They went to find inner peace. For eight weeks they disappeared into an ashram to study meditation. No press or visitors were allowed.

“Seekers in their music, they were now seekers in their spiritual lives. For many of us, the Beatles were the avatars–the embodiment, the archetype–of western culture and society and when they turned to the East, millions of young people turned to see what they were looking at, where they were going, what they were doing. To the West, then, ashrams were a little known phenomenon. They were centers of spiritual learning, of yoga, of vegetarian eating and, to the generations of the 60s, word that the Beatles were at an ashram in India aroused a curiosity in a great many people searching in their own lives for a deeper fulfillment than materialism could deliver. The Beatles were forging ahead, again.

“Why did all four Beatles go to India? George was the most interested. He was ‘the quiet one’, perhaps most in touch with himself. He was a devoted seeker, devoted to finding the inner connection with his own Divine Nature. This connection is soul food. It requires quiet to do this. That they all went was significant. Each, in their own way, more or less, was looking to get away from their fame, from the cacophony of their busy lives. Looking for the quiet. Looking for the soul food. As George said, when we sat together at the ashram: all the bells and whistles, all the outer rewards and distractions, “It isn’t peace inside, is it?” They were also there to be together. They were family.”

Guide to The Beatles Ashram, Rishikesh:

Though I was very young at the time, I remember when the The White Album was released, and also their visit to India. And I wonder if The Beatles’ visit to India had an effect on me that is still unfolding. You can read my story, about my personal connection to The Beatles Ashram below, but first a guide for visitors. 

• How to get there
• What to see
• Price of admission and timings
• Photography tips

Guide to The Beatles Ashram

The Beatles Ashram in Rishikesh is actually called Chaurasi Kuti, which means “84 meditation huts.” Maharishi Mahesh Yogi leased it from the forest department in 1961, and built an ashram with money donated by an American heiress. It covers 14 acres of land on a cliff overlooking the Ganga (Ganges) River in the Swargashram part of Rishikesh, away from the other ashrams. There are numerous buildings on the property that include a former temple, residence buildings, bungalows, a kitchen, library, the home of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, and of course the 84 beehive shaped meditation huts. Some of the architecture is extremely distinctive, which, combined with the dilapidation, makes for a very atmospheric environment in which to wander.

The Beatles Ashram was neglected for many years after Maharishi Mahesh Yogi left in 1981 when the lease expired. The jungle began to overtake, and when I first visited in about 2010, it was completely abandoned. I didn’t stay long as I saw movement in the trees and bushes and was nervous about wild animals. Rajaji National Park is right outside the boundary walls, and home to tigers, leopards, wild elephants, monkeys, cobras and more!

In early December, 2015, it was reopened as a tourist attraction and it’s now a safe place to visit. Now the Beatles Ashram, Rishikesh, is run by the Rajaji Tiger Reserve, Uttarakhand, as a tourist attraction, and I highly recommend it while in Rishikesh.

Meditating at one of the 84 huts, Beatles Ashram, Rishikesh. Christmas Day 2019.

How to get to The Beatles Ashram, Rishikesh:

To get there, you need to cross the Ganga (Ganges) River from the main road that runs through Rishikesh. The Beatles Ashram is about 1 kilometre from Ram Jhula (and 3 kilometres from Lakshman Jhula). You walk to the far edge of Swargashram, past the big Parmarth Niketan Ashram (where the evening aarti is held), and cross a small stream, until you reach the gate.

Admission price for The Beatles Ashram, Rishikesh:

The ticket booth is just inside. The entrance cost is 600 rupees for foreigners / 150 rupees for Indian nationals to enter. Timing is 10:00 to 16:00. Make sure you schedule an hour or two to take in everything and have time to walk the grounds.

Photo Tips for The Beatles Ashram, Rishikesh:

To be honest, there is not much more than memories and atmosphere … most of the buildings are in decay, though the murals do add a lot of colour and make for great photos. The murals started as graffiti, and eventually, in 2016, the authorities saw the potential to commission them. The Cathedral Gallery in particular has a number of striking murals that photographers love — they are also often the backdrop for selfies and portraits. 

The meditation huts are also ideal for photographers. There are 84, so lots of opportunities for various compositions. The Beatles Ashram property is very thick with trees, so there is lots of shade and you can enjoy good light at most times of the day except high noon. Late afternoon is the best as the sunsets across the river and you can get some good sunset photos from the cliff.

One of the many murals in The Cathedral Gallery at The Beatles Ashram, Rishikesh

One building has been renovated to include a gallery and cafe, with washrooms at the back. The menu is very limited at the cafe, but you can sit outside and enjoy a cup of steaming chai.

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More reading on Breathedreamgo about spiritual travel in India

• If you are thinking about studying Yoga in India, read the complete Guide to Yoga in India. 
• Read about What life is like in a Yoga Ashram in this comprehensive post.
• Check out this post about Rishikesh, the Yoga Capital of the world.