AI says…..
In 1968, the Beatles stayed at the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s ashram in Rishikesh to study Transcendental Meditation. Their time there was highly productive: they wrote around 30 songs, many later appearing on The White Album. The peaceful forest setting, daily meditation, and isolation from fame inspired a creative burst. Other celebrities like Donovan and Mia Farrow were also present. The ashram, now known as the Beatles Ashram, is part of Rajaji National Park. Visitors can explore abandoned meditation huts, colourful Beatles-themed murals, and the tranquil grounds where the band spent one of the most influential retreats of their career.
Here are some of the well-known songs they wrote (or partly wrote) there:
- Dear Prudence — John Lennon, inspired by Mia Farrow’s sister Prudence.
- I’m So Tired — Lennon wrote this about insomnia during meditation.
- Blackbird — Paul McCartney said he got lyrical inspiration from hearing a blackbird in Rishikesh.
- I Will — McCartney worked on both music and lyrics there.
- Sexy Sadie — Originally called “Maharishi,” written by Lennon.
- Circles — George Harrison composed this in Rishikesh.
- Long, Long, Long, Revolution, Mother Nature’s Son, Cry Baby Cry, Back in the U.S.S.R. — also among the songs often linked to their time in Rishikesh.
The place is like an abandoned village. The word is that the lease ran out in the mid-70s and the Maharishi left for pastures new. Nature took over and here we are. It costs about £10 to get in for a non-Indian (which is relatively expensive) but the site is on the edge (and inside of) a national park. So the logic is that you pay the same to track tigers for two weeks as you do for looking around some disused buildings for a couple of hours but actually it’s well worth it.
