RISHIKESH DAY 2

Beatles Ashram, also known as Chaurasi Kutia, is an ashram close to the north Indian city of Rishikesh in the state of Uttarakhand. It is located on the eastern bank of the Ganges river, opposite the Muni Ki Reti area of Rishikesh, in the foothills of the Himalayas. During the 1960s and 1970s, as the International Academy of Meditation, it was the training centre for students of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who devised the Transcendental Meditation technique. The ashram gained international attention between February and April 1968 when the English rock band the Beatles studied meditation there, along with celebrities such as Donovan, Mia Farrow and Mike Love. It was the setting for the band's most productive period as songwriters, where they composed most of the songs for their self-titled double album, also known as the "White Album".

The site was abandoned in the 1990s and reverted to the local forestry department in 2003, after which it became a popular visiting place for fans of the Beatles. Although derelict and overrun by jungle, the site was officially opened to the public in December 2015. It is now known as Beatles Ashram and held an exhibition in February 2018 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Beatles' arrival in Rishikesh.

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi leased the site from the state forestry department of Uttar Pradesh in 1961.[1] It sits on a 150 feet (46 m)-high cliff overlooking the Ganges river, on a hill known as Manikoot, and comprises 14 acres (57,000 m2) of land surrounded by jungle.[1] The facility was built in 1963 with a $100,000 gift from American heiress Doris Duke.[2] Referred to locally as the Chaurasi Kutia ashram,[3][4] and by some meditators as Shankaracharya Nagar,[1][5] it was named the "International Academy of Meditation" by the Maharishi. It was one of many ashrams in the Rishikesh area, which is a place of religious significance[6] and known as the "yoga capital of the world".[7]

The ashram is located due east of the Muni Ki Reti area of Rishikesh, in the north of the city, and on the opposite bank of the river. In the late 1960s, access to the cliff-top facility was possible via the Lakshman Jhula footbridge, 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) north-east of the centre of Rishikesh, at the village of Tapovan, followed by a 2-mile walk back downriver and a steep climb up the rocky path to Manikoot. Alternatively, a ferry service was available, from close to what is now the Ram Jhula suspension bridge, built in 1986. Before the opening of Ram Jhula, vehicles crossed the Ganges over the narrow bridge at Haridwar, south of Rishikesh, and then travelled 13 miles along a twisty and potholed dirt road to the ashram.[1]

In November 2020, the Janki Setu (or Sita Pul) bridge opened to the public. The 274-metre bridge allows access for two-wheelers and pedestrians, and further reduces the distance to the ashram.[8]