Beatles in India; India's Mystique

India’s Mystique

One of the main reasons the Beatles went to India was to follow the Maharishi Majesh Yogi. The Maharishi was an expert in Transcendental Meditation. He met the Beatles on one of his trips promoting this practice.  The Beatles visited the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in 1967, shortly after his lecture at the Hilton in London (Beatles Biography 750). Transcendental meditation is a technique of mantra meditation. The meditation practice involves the use of a mantra and is practiced for 15–20 minutes twice per day while sitting with one's eyes closed. It was originally developed by Brahmananda Saraswati.   The Maharishi was his disciple, but because he belonged to a different caste he couldn’t obtain the titles.

The Beatles   agreed  to follow the Maharishi to India. Not everyone in the group,was too fond of the idea. But as always, the Beatles went together. Paul McCartney    one of the band members made this remark “John and George were going to Rishikesh with the idea that this might be some huge spiritual lift-off and they might never come back if Maharishi told them some really amazing thing. Well, being a little bit pragmatic, I thought in my own mind, I'll give it a month, then if I really like it, I'll come back and organize to go out there for good, but I won't go on this 'I may never come back' thing, I won't burn my bridges. That's very me, to not want to do that. I just see it as being practical, and I think it is.” (Beatles Again)

 Another reason for their trip was because the Beatles wanted to get away from  fame  and , they needed an escape. John, “We really were getting away from everything,” –craziness, drugs, fame, inexorable grind. (Beatles Biography 751) They found a safe realm in India, a place without a spotlight and a different aura.  The Beatles, at the time, especially Lennon and Harrison, were looking for more cosmic awareness and had been experimenting with LSD.  The Maharishi’s transcendental meditation promised an alternative to hallucinogenic drugs. (Pop History dig, Beatles in India.) They went to the secluded place, Uttar Pradesh, India mainly to study transcendental meditation and self-realization at the Maharishi’s ashram. They planned to go to from February 15 through April 25, 1968 for approximately three months. All the Beatles brought their wives with them on their trip to India. John wanted to bring both Cynthia and Yoko.  In the end he decided against it and only brought Cynthia, though he kept contact with Yoko through letters.

 The Maharishi’s temple is almost like an exclusive resort.  “People would go strolling barefoot beside the Ganges River. Meditated in half lit caves and organized activities other than spiritual pursuit.”(Beatles biography, 753). At that time it cost $400 for a three month stay. It’s hidden from the public. It’s a fenced  compound, overlooking the Ganges River.  The facilities  are a central courtyard with six concrete lean sheds called Puri; it also had a glass dining area. Disciples in the Puri practiced meditation to redefine their place in the universe. They were given vegetarian meals during their whole stay. Ringo Starr ,“The food was impossible for me, because I'm allergic to so many different thin­gs, so I took two suitcases with me: one of clothes and one of Heinz beans,” (Beatles Anthology DVD).

 George became an instant convert, devoting hours to the contemplative process before leaving England. John Lennon got really into the meditation practice.  He Meditated eight hours a day.  John saw the Maharishi as an important guidance figure, he  admired and , wished to become. Ever since  their manager died, he had been looking for someome to fill his emotional void.Cynthia:  “To John nothing else matter, spent days in deep meditation”(The Beatles biography, 754).

With such a relaxing atmosphere, the Beatles got time to rest, and create their songs.   In total,  thirtyto forty songs were composed during their trip to India, and many would appear on the White Album.   The white album would become one of their best albums.  “In the U.K., the White Album debuted at No. 1 on December 1st, 1968, spending a total of eight weeks at the top of the U.K. charts and holding in the Top Ten for another four weeks.”  In the U. S., the album debuted at No.11, reaching No. 1 in its third week, spending nine weeks there and remaining on the Billboard 200 album chart for 155 weeks.  The White Album sold more than 1 million copies in its first two weeks on the market  (Pop History dig, Beatles in India) .

Two major songs they wrote while in India were Sexy Sadie and Dear Prudence.  Both of these songs were inspired on real people. Sexy Sadie was based on the Maharishi. Dear Prudence was based in Mia Farrow’s sister. Dear Prudence was written by the Beatles on their time with her  in the Ashram. Prudence got really deep into the practice of Transcendental Meditation .She would disappear for days in her room. No one would see her go out, not even to eat. Everyone was worried. So Lennon and Harrison devised a plan to make her come out. They composed the song and sung it to her. Prudence Farrow stayed with the three-month program and became a Transcendental Meditation teacher.

   By the time they made the song Sexy Sadie, the Beatles trip to India  came to a halt.  Problems had been rising , for some time and as they amounted, the desire for the group to leave became more apparent. They had been India for a long time, their trip was  soon to  be over. The first one to leave was Ringo, because he missed his kids, and didn’t grow accustomed to the food. Paul soon followed. He wanted to continue his work, and to compose music. John left with Cynthia, because he didn’t believe the Maharishi anymore, and suspected he had an affair with Mia. Lennon also wanted to resume his, communication with Yoko, being far away and communicating through letters was not enough. George and Patti were the last to leave India, because they were fervent followers. By April 11, of 1967 the last remaining Beatles left. The trip to India was the last time all four Beatles travelled abroad together ever again.  Something changed the Beatles in India. That mystique allowed them to grow more independent from each other, and to seek what they truly desired. Their true selves were exposed. The peace they got in India, would be the last time, they were truly happy together as a group.

 Works Cited:

Books:

·         "Beatles in India." The Beatles anthology. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2000. 233. Print.

·         Spitz, Bob. "India." The Beatles: the biography. New York: Little, Brown, 2005. 750-757, 969. Print.

·         Saltzman, Paul. The Beatles in Rishikesh. New York: Viking Studio, 2000. Print.

Websites:

·         "The Beatles and India." The Beatles Bible. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 May 2013.

·         "The Beatles - everything about The Beatles." The Beatles - everything about The Beatles. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 May 2013. <http://www.thebeatlesonline.com/pages 1-5

·         "The Pop History Dig » Beatles & India." The Pop History Dig - a collection of short stories about popular culture - its history, its people, and its power. N.P., n.d. Web. 7 May 2013. <http://www.pophistorydig.com/?tag=beatles-india>.

·         Saltzman, Paul. "With the Beatles in India - Internet Beatles Album." The Beatles - The Internet Beatles Album. N.P., n.d. Web. 7 May 2013. <http://www.beatlesagain.com/with-the-beatles-in-india.html>.

·         Goldberg, Philip. "Beatles in India: The Retreat That Reverberates Across the Universe." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 17 Feb. 2013. Web. 6 May 2013.

Video:

·         The Beatles Anthology.  Dir.Wonfor , Geoff and Smeaton, Bob.DVD .Apple Corporation 2003