Sexy Sadie, The Beatles and the Maharishi

The Beatles and their India connection. Their spiritual journey with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Indian music and the White Album.

The Hippie generation. The Swinging 1960s, The Beatles, India and The Fab Four. A generation disillusioned with the rush for materialism. The turning away from it all. Idealism, Spirituality, Yogis and Sanyasis. The search for Utopia. And India. There is a huge link between all of these…

The Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Ashram

One of these is the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Ashram in Rishikesh, North India. It is a place connected with The Beatles and the 60s, now largely abandoned. This is now remembered less for its “Yogi/ Sanyasi” Mahesh Yogi and more for its more famous guests – The Beatles (among other stars) who arrived in India in 1968. This was also the beginning of the end for The Beatles as a group post their disillusionment with the utopia promised by the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. The iconic song “Sexy Sadie” and the cynical “Maharishi” song that inspired it were a reflection of this disillusionment.

The Beatles in India

George Harrison, one of the band members, brought The Beatles and India together. He got them all to come here to study meditation under Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. There were bungalows, meditation halls, lecture hall, the works… And peace… But not for long… Ringo Starr, unable to handle the vegetarian food, left first, after barely 10 days. Next to leave was Paul McCartney. George Harrison and John Lennon stayed for a few more weeks. And then, over an argument with the Maharishi’s behavior with his female devotees, they too left. This led to the end of The Beatles’ journey in India and later the Ashram. Eventually, it also led to the end of The Beatles as a group.

The Beatles wrote a number of songs, hits, about their experience here. Hence, the Ashram lived on in fame and infamy. The Ashram still exists, a tad hard to find, abandoned and reclaimed by the surrounding forest. The transcendental meditation complex is now an art project called the Beatles Cathedral. This is quite a sight for Beatles fans – Beatles song lyrics and pictures of the band painted all over. Some of them are abstract, but definitely decipherable for the hard-core fans…

Quite a sad story, typical of the times. Here it is, in somewhat more detail…

The History of the Ashram

The Beatles India Ashram was earlier known as the Chaurasi Kutia. It is on the eastern bank of the river Ganges river, near Muni Ki Reti in the Himalayan town of Rishikesh, Uttarakhand of North India. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, devised the Transcendental Meditation technique of meditation. He established this as the training center of the International Academy of Meditation during the 1960s and 70s.

Between February and April 1968, the Beatles studied here, along with the Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan and actress Mia Farrow (fresh off her divorce from Frank Sinatra). Many other musicians were also around, like jazz flautist Paul Horn and Mike Love of the Beach Boys. This is considered by many to be The Beatles’ best period as songwriters.

The Location of the Ashram

The Ashram is quite picturesquely situated – 14 acres land surrounded by thick jungle on a 150-meter high cliff of Manikoot Hill. The Hill overlooks the Ganges in Rishikesh, then (and now) known as the Yoga capital of the World. The access was aptly difficult – via the Lakshman Jhula footbridge over the River, then a 2-mile walk followed by a rocky climb to Manikoot.

The training center itself was more suited to Western sensibilities than Indian and consisted of accommodation bungalows, lecture halls and even the Maharishi’s quarters. In fact, the local name of Chaurasi Kutia means “84 Huts” in Hindi. Quite a utopia it was, gardens, nature, communal meals, love and peace – a kind of sanitized utopia surrounded by barbed wire fence to protect against the wildlife in the jungle… 😉

The creative output of The Beatles in India

Four stone “caves” were constructed for The Beatles to stay here with all facilities. These were not very common in the area at that time – electric heaters, running water, toilets, carpeting, mattresses and mirrors. The Beatles started wearing traditional Indian wear. They played several Indian music instruments. Their stay here became their most creative period as song-writers.

Most of the songs were inspired by nature and simplicity of life. These formed the bulk (18 of the songs) of The Beatles’ 1968 double album, “The Beatles”, also known as the “White Album”. The name came, incidentally, from the cover. It was mostly plain and white, with The Beatles written in the center and a serial number at the bottom right. This is a lasting testament to The Beatles sojourn in India.

But like all utopias, it ended. Leading to melodrama and heartbreak and sadness and angst…

The End of the utopian life of The Beatles in India

Harrison and Lennon were into Transcendental Meditation more than Ringo and Paul. The latter two left and the former two stayed for longer. Their free-spirited souls strained at the discipline imposed in food and lifestyle though. And rebelled after a while.

Then followed accusations by The Beatles that the Maharishi was taking advantage of their fame. They cast aspersions on the Maharishi regarding his behavior with female devotees. They left, bad-mouthed the Maharishi and even recorded a song called the Maharishi song. It is as cynical as it gets. I have included a link to the song at the end of this blog. Take a listen – it is nice.

A lot of infamy followed for the Ashram. The Beatles apologized later and the Maharishi pardoned them. He said famously, “I could never be upset with angels.” But the differences that cropped up between the Beatles in the Ashram remained. This eventually led to their breakup as a group in 1970.

The Maharishi, too, abandoned the Ashram in the 70s. The lease expired in 1981. It is now part of the Rajaji Tiger Reserve.

The Ashram now

Since the 90s, die-hard Beatles fans and trespassers had been painting graffiti in the abandoned Ashram. This was a tribute to The Beatles. The authorities decided to preserve the existing buildings as “heritage structures”. As a result, they commissioned a few artists to produce the paintings for the Ashram’s abandoned hall. This was to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of the Beatles’ arrival in India.

In 2018, a two-year exhibition titled “The Beatles in India” opened in the Beatles Story museum in Liverpool. At the same time, “The Beatles in India” exhibition opened at Chaurasi Kutia, now known as the Beatles Ashram.

Trivia of The Beatles in India

Lots of trivia during the Beatles’ time in India.

Lennon drunkenly recounted a litany of his numerous infidelities to Cynthia, his wife. This led to their divorce and set the stage for Yoko Ono’s entry in Lennon’s life. The entry of Yoko was the death-knell for The Beatles as a band.

Oh, and Lennon wrote a song while waiting for the taxi to take them to Delhi airport. This was after confronting the Maharishi at the Ashram. “Maharishi” was the initial name of the song. You will remember it as the iconic “Sexy Sadie”. Do you remember the lyrics? Here it is – read through replacing “Sexy Sadie” with “Maharishi”. You will see the angst at the failed dream shining through…

Sexy Sadie – The Beatles (Written by Lennon and McCartney)

Sexy Sadie, what have you done

You made a fool of everyone…

Sexy Sadie, ooh, what have you done.

Sexy Sadie, you broke the rules.

You laid it down for all to see.

Sexy Sadie, ooh, you broke the rules.

One sunny day the world was waiting for a lover

She came along and turned on everyone.

Sexy Sadie, the greatest of them all.

Sexy Sadie, how did you know

The world was waiting just for you…

However big you think you are

Sexy Sadie, ooh, you’ll get yours yet.

We gave her everything we owned just to sit at her table

Just a smile would lighten everything.

Sexy Sadie, she’s the latest and the greatest of them all

She made a fool of everyone.

Sexy Sadie…

Here’s Lennon’s impressions after his visit to the Ashram in song, the “Maharishi song” – quite cynical it is… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYyTsi3By5w

And here’s the iconic Sexy Sadie song which was inspired by the Maharishi song… Take a listen… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSk5U4oHhu0

To visit the Ashram

In case you are a Beatles fan, and wish to see a place connected with The Beatles in India, visit the Beatles Ashram and Rishikesh. This witnessed a turning point in the magical journey of the Beatles. Check out the Beatles’ experience in India.

Rishikesh is close to Delhi. Take a train from Delhi to Haridwar and then a short journey by road. Or fly from Delhi to Dehradun and then take a bus/ taxi to Rishikesh.

You can visit the place even if aren’t a Beatles fan, by the way… 😉