Risikesh Pilgrimage

India is the land pilgrimages. Just about everyplace is holy and sacred with pilgrims journeying from one site to another. Naturally, I don't want to be left out on all the pilgrim action. I just had to visit one of the "sacred" Indian sites for western tourists, hah!

Rishikesh is home to the sacred Beatles Ashram!

It really wasn't all that easy to find as the sign-post makes it seem, no Indian pilgrims knew of it.

In 1967, the Beatles met Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and went to his ashram to study transcendental meditation for a few months. The majority of the White Album was written in the ashram (with the assistance of pharmaceutical enhancements I'm sure). Unfortunately, rumors spread about Maharishi sexual misbehavior towards those in the ashram, and it was eventually abandoned. It's still standing to this day, and for a few rupees to the guard, it can be explored.

Here is a slideshow of the visit. And yes, I know it's not from the White Album. One of the guys visiting was playing this song on his mp3 player.


No entry for the Indian tourists.


There were many of these colony dome-like things scattered throughout the site. I guess the bottom was for sleeping and the upper part was for meditating?

Inside of the colony dome-

Graffiti left by a Beatles fan.

Balcony-


This was another one of the larger structures. I nicknamed it the "hive."

On the roof were some more meditation domes.

Cat having a look around.

View out from the hive.


The center of the compound had a huge mushroom-like round-about. Hmm... makes you wonder what the lads were using while writing the White Album...


Although the site was incredibly well-preserved, signs of encroaching chaos were everywhere.


It's interesting to read the account and see photos of someone who was actually with the Beatles while they studied at the ashram.
Text here, some photos here.
The author was interviewed about his time spent in the ashram with the Beatles.

Ah yes, after visiting I now feel like an Indian pilgrim, hah!