ALL THESE PLACES HAD THEIR MOMENTS
RISHIKESH
John kept saying, ‘I’m here because of George.’ George was the real McCoy. He was a real seeker. He was what he was whether he was a Beatle or not.
– Prudence Farrow
Rishikesh is a city located around 200 miles north of Delhi in the Himalayan foothills. In this area of great natural beauty, the Maharishi’s ashram sat in secluded, private grounds where monkeys, parrots and peacocks were free to roam around. The accommodation consisted of simple, comfortable bungalows, as well as a lecture hall and dining area. A staff of forty, including cooks, gardeners, cleaners and even a masseuse tended to the guests’ needs.
George, Pattie, her sister Jenny, John and Cynthia, and Mal Evans arrived at the retreat first, followed later by Paul and Jane, Ringo and Maureen. Also in residence were Mike Love from the Beach Boys, Donovan, his friend Cosmic Dave, Mia Farrow and her sister, Prudence – who became the inspiration behind one of the most beautiful songs on The Beatles’ next album.
The residents could take part in TM workshops and lectures, practise meditation themselves, and share their experiences at the communal meals. There was plenty of free time to sunbathe, walk the grounds, visit other local towns, and, of course, write songs. The Beatles were hugely prolific during their stay, and, inspired by their fellow residents – Donovan taught John his finger-picking guitar-playing technique and Mike Love helped Paul with ‘Back In The USSR’ – wrote around forty songs that would find themselves on the White Album and Abbey Road.
One night, the whole camp took part in a torchlight procession to a boat on the Ganges, where they spent the night singing and dancing. Another time, the Maharishi offered a trip in his helicopter to one of the residents, and John convinced the Maharishi that it should be him. Afterwards, when Paul asked him why he was so keen on the helicopter trip – he had been in helicopters before – John replied that he thought the Maharishi might ‘slip him the answer’.
George, Ringo and Pattie Boyd at the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s ashram in Rishikesh,1968. Alamy
Ringo and Maureen stayed for two weeks, but they missed their children and Maureen hated the flies. Although they’d arrived with a suitcase of baked beans, and Mal Evans secured a steady supply of eggs, Ringo’s sensitive stomach couldn’t take the spicy vegetarian food.
Paul and Jane left after a month, both getting what they wanted from the trip, while John and George intended to stay for the full three months. A couple of weeks after Paul left, a rumour flew around the camp that the Maharishi had made a pass at Mia Farrow. It was never confirmed by her, and was possibly started by Magic Alex, a Beatles acolyte who was particularly friendly with John and envious of the Maharishi’s influence on his friend. John, already losing faith and suspicious of the Maharishi’s motives, decided to leave, particularly when George said he was departing to carry on with his travels to southern India. When the Maharishi asked why they weren’t staying longer, John replied, ‘If you’re so fucking cosmic, you’ll know why.’
In the taxi on the way to the airport, John started to compose a critical song about the Maharishi, though when George told him the lyrics were a bit unfair, he changed the song’s character from ‘Maharishi’ to ‘Sexy Sadie’.