Making memories

Flower children

Meet the Yogi

Beatles in the backseat

George, Guru, John

Joining the giggling guru

Three Stooges

Why did John and George leave the Rishikesh?

50 years ago today, on April 12, 1968, John Lennon and George Harrison, along with their wives Pattie and Cynthia chose to leave the Maharishi's camp after 2 months.      There are many theories as to why John and George abruptly left the guru and did not finish the program as they originally had planned. 


1.   The "official" story -   The story that had been told from the beginning is that the Maharishi had been seen with a young lady from the camp in his private quarters engaging in sexual behavior.  Believing the Maharishi to be a spiritual man that abstained from the desires of the flesh, they were angry by his behavior and found it to be a betrail.    They attempted to speak to him about the issue and he just giggled and did not talk directly about the issue and avoided answering the two Beatles.  This caused them to get angry even more and so they packed up their things and left the ashram.  While they were waiting for the taxi, John wrote a song called "Maharishi" (which of course was renamed and recorded as Sexy Sadie).  The original lyrics really called the Maharshi out on his behavior.

The official story got even more shocking in 1970 during John's infamous "Lennon Remembers" interview with Rolling Stone.    John states that he had heard that the Maharishi had tried to rape Mia Farrow and some other girls and when he and the others went to confront the man about these charges, he gave John "a look" that was telling of his guilt.


2.  Magic Alex -    After many years had passed, the story of Magic Alex's involvement in all of this started to emerge.     Cynthia Lennon talks about it in her book, and it is found in other Beatles books.   According to this theory,  Maharshi never had an affair with any of the girls, but Magic Alex started the rumor that he had.      Alex spread the rumor and made sure George and John heard about the sexual relations between a young American teacher and the guru.  He even stated that the strictly vegetarian man gave the girl some chicken!    The two Beatles were so mad about all of this, they just packed up and left in a huff and never questioned Alex about the story.      According to those that believe this theory,   Alex made up the rumor to get all of the Beatles back to London so that he could get back to work on his inventions for Apple Electronics.   Meditating in India was not monetarily beneficial to Alex and he was wanting to get back to work and get more of that Beatle money. 

Alex came out saying that none of this was true except for the fact that he was indeed the one that told the guys about the affair with the American teacher and that the Maharshi even admitted that he was just a man with urges.   Alex continues to say that it really wasn't a big deal because they were ready to leave the camp anyhow.  Pattie and Cyn had gotten tired of meditating and John and George were ready to get back to the studio.   He basically says that they would have left on April 12 regardless of the story of the affair.


3.  John was disillusioned -  This comes from Cynthia Lennon's second book.   She states that later John shared with her that he wanted to leave because he felt that the Maharishi's motives weren't pure, but that he was just like everyone else and was doing the meditation for fame and money.   That he was using the Beatles association with him to gain him more exposure and more money.    They were drawn to him to learn his wisdom and techniques of meditation, but John felt used.     

Personally, out of all the theories, this one makes the most sense.   Maharishi did use the Beatles and the Beach Boys and any other famous person to get famous and make money.   Maybe it wasn't his original intentions, but it seems like he got a bit greedy once the rich and famous began to follow him. 


4.  They were asked to leave -  There is one theory that doesn't have anything I can locate to back it up that George once said that because of their use of drugs, the Maharishi had asked John and George to leave.     Supposedly George said this in an interview in 1991, but I sure can't find the quote.    It really doesn't make a lot of sense.   I know there was a little drug usage in the ashram, but basically, it was a drug-free zone.    Why would Maharshi ask his two most famous devotees to leave? 



According to many different articles, all four the Beatles considered the time in India to be worthwhile and did not hold any grudges against the Maharshi.      Reportedly, John spoke to him on the telephone and apologized for what he had said (not sure if that is true).   In 1991, George went to visit him in person in the Netherlands and had a good conversation with him.     One thing I can say about the Mahrishi is that he neve had a bad word to say about the Beatles.    Many others in is position could have really bad mouthed the guys, especially after John accused him of raping Mia Farrow!   However, he never publically uttered a bad thing about any of the Beatles.

Pattie's birthday in India

On March 17, 1968,  Pattie Boyd (Harrison) celebrated her 24th birthday while in India.   Much like George's birthday, she celebrated with cake and music and everyone piled their flowers around her neck. 

When the Saints go Marching in

Might slip him the answer

One day Maharishi needed to get to New Delhi and back for something, so someone suggested a helicopter. When it arrived we all trooped down, a bouncing line of devotees, coming down a narrow dusty track to the Ganges, singing, being delightful. Very like the Hare Krishnas, marvellous, chatting away. We got down to the Ganges, the helicopter landed and then they asked, 'Does anyone want a quick go before Maharishi takes off?' John jumped up. 'Yea, yea, yeah, yeah!' John got there first, and there was only room for one.

So later I asked John, 'Why were you so keen? You really wanted to get in that helicopter.' 'Yeah,' he said. 'I thought he might slip me the answer!' Which is very revealing about John. I suppose everyone is always looking for the Holy Grail. I think John thought he might find it. I think it shows an innocence really, a naivety. It's quite touching really.

Paul McCartney
Many Years From Now, Barry Miles

Celebrating George's Birthday in India

It is easy to think of the Beatles time in Rishikesh as well -- boring.    They sat around and meditated, ate nasty meals, slept and wrote songs.     Not exactly the most exciting of days, especially for outsiders.   However, when it was someone's birthday, these campers knew how to party!   Point in case was George Harrison's 25th birthday that was celebrated while in Rishikesh.    

Here is a quote from Lewis Lapham's book With the Beatles that tells a little bit about the party.  

The Maharishi presented George Harrison with a cake and a plastic globe turned upside-down.   "This is the world," he said, "It needs to be corrected."  We sang "Happy Birthday" to George and then when the laughter and applause subsided, the Hindu porters laughed and danced and threw firecrackers at one another in the doorway of the lecture hall.

 

There were Indian musicians at the party that performed music for everyone.   I am sure George especially enjoyed the music that was provided for his party.

When they arrived the guests were given two sets of flowers to wear around their necks.    After the gift and the music, each guest came up to George and put one of the flowers around his neck.   This must have been quite a funny time, has Mal Evan's flowers got caught up with the others George was wearing and by the end,  George had a large stack of flowers and you could barely see him.   

I love all of these photos because first, they show a celebration of George Harrison and that alone is pretty awesome.   But also because they show the Beatles and their ladies looking really laid back and having a fun time.    Maureen Starkey is laughing in many of the photos and so is Jane Asher.   Even Cynthia is smiling!   Ringo is laying back having a good time.    John and Paul are sitting next to each other.    We often think of 1968 as a dark dreary time for the Beatles --- but there were moments, such as this birthday party where things weren't so dismal. 

Through the gates

When the Beatles first arrived in Rishikesh, they would travel down a pathway that was easy to see from outside of the camp.    There was a ton of photographers and reporters just waiting for them to walk along on that pathway and snap photos and try to get their attention.    There is some video footage of this as well as these snapshots.     Eventually everyone caught on and started using a different path. 

With the Beatles: A Book Review

Wednesday Review tonight is right in time for the 50th anniversary of the Beatles in India.   The book I am reviewing is With the Beatles by Lewis Lapham.    The author was hired to write about transcendental meditation and the Beatles involvement with the Maharishi for the Saturday Evening Post.  First, he went to New York and then to California to study and understand TM and have the background information needed to travel to Rishikesh and meet the Maharishi.

This is an extremely small and short book.    Since it just focuses on the experiences of the author during two months of his life, there isn't a lot of unneeded background information.   However, about half of the book is dedicated to explaining what the author learned about TM and then explaining what it was like at the Ashram.

Lapham was one of the few journalists allowed inside the camp, and he got to talk to Maharishi.   He really made the guru look like a money-hungry, fame-hungry man who took advantage of the Beatles and other celebrities involved in what he had to offer.   The Beatles were put on a pedestal and he gushed over everything they had to say or do. He offered them private meditation sessions and didn't allow the press to talk to them.

 However, Lapham did converse some with the Beatles because the guys would occasionally go out into the commons area.  He didn't have any deep talks with them or hear any music being made, but he did get to chat with them a little about things. His observations were really good -- especially about how Cynthia looked really sad the entire time.  He was even present during George's birthday party and explained some of the confusion in the photos from that day.

Lapham left with Ringo and Maureen after 10 days and traveled the 8-hour drive into the city with Ringo and has some good memories of that trip.


This was far from being the best Beatles book out there, but it was a quick read and was especially interesting to read right now -  50 years after the fact.   I think it is a must-have for anyone that wants to learn more about the Maharishi and the Beatles time in India.



The link below is the affiliate link to Amazon where you can purchase this book..   I get a small percentage of anything purchased through this link.  Money made from the Amazon Afflication is used to pay the annual fee to keep this site online.  Thank you for your support.  Sara

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One of the saddest days in Beatles history

The top photo was taken earlier in the day.   The Beatles were carefree and happy and laughing about something.   Then the phone call that changed their lives came through:  Brian Epstein had died.   You can see the pain on their faces -- the guys and the ladies.   They loved Brian and saw him an a mentor and friend.    He was the best man at their weddings (except for Paul), and gave all of himself to them.    I am not sure if August 27, 1967 is the single saddest day in the history of the Beatles (finding out that Stu had died is up there as well), but it is one of the saddest and the day that began the ultimate break up of the Beatles.