The Beatles and the Geography of Memory

A radio, an abandoned ashram, and the memories that connect a life

The Sound of a Radio

I remember hearing The Beatles on an A684 Murphy radio when my sisters tuned in to English-language music programs such as His and Hers from The Netherlands and Lunchtime Request Show from Assam, India.

The Beatles arrived in my life not through albums or concerts, but through a radio carrying music from distant places. Decades later, that connection would lead me to explore a place where music, spirituality, and cultural exchange came together.

The Beatles in Rishikesh

It was in February 1968 that The Beatles arrived at the International Academy of Meditation in Rishikesh, India, at the invitation of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. The Academy promoted Transcendental Meditation, the practice he developed.

The visit became one of the most widely recognized cultural intersections between Western popular music and Indian spirituality. The Beatles' time in Rishikesh also reflected a broader Western interest in meditation, Indian philosophy, and new forms of spiritual exploration.

Beatles Ashram (Chaurasi Kutiya)

The former International Academy of Meditation in Rishikesh is now widely known as Beatles Ashram, reflecting its association with The Beatles' stay in 1968. Locally, however, it is known as Chaurasi Kutiya, or "84 huts," while followers of Transcendental Meditation often remember it simply as Maharishi-ji's Ashram.

Set on a wooded hillside in Uttarakhand, the site is explored on foot along winding paths that pass meditation huts, communal buildings, and the remnants of the former academy. There is no prescribed route, allowing visitors to wander through the grounds at their own pace.

Among the most recognizable structures are the dome-shaped meditation huts. Although often associated with The Beatles, they were built several years after the band's visit to accommodate practitioners of Transcendental Meditation. The Satsang Hall, where Maharishi Mahesh Yogi once addressed students and followers, now presents a different layer of history. Murals and portraits of The Beatles cover many of its walls, while a gallery of Paul Saltzman's photographs captures candid moments from the band's stay with friends including Donovan, Mia Farrow, and Mike Love.

The grounds also include the Panchkuti guesthouses, where residents and visitors stayed, and the building known as Chaurasi Kutiya, whose eighty-four meditation chambers gave the site its enduring local name. Anand Bhawan, with its stepped form and distinctive domes, once housed participants attending Transcendental Meditation courses. Walking through the complex, I was reminded of the Golden Domes at Maharishi International University in Iowa. Although the architecture differs, both places reflect Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's vision of communities organized around meditation, learning, and shared daily life. For a moment, it was easy to imagine the ashram as a rustic university campus, where students moved between residences, lectures, meditation halls, and the quiet routines of communal living.

George Harrison

For me, the member of The Beatles who stood out most was George Harrison. Perhaps that is unfair to the rest of the Fab Four, but we all have our preferences.

George captured my attention through his music, his humanitarian work, and his enduring interest in India. In 1971, he organized the Concert for Bangladesh, the first major benefit concert of its kind, and released the single Bangla Desh to raise money and awareness for refugees during the Bangladesh Liberation War.

George's introduction to Indian classical music deepened after David Crosby of The Byrds introduced him to the music of Pandit Ravi Shankar. George studied the sitar with Ravi Shankar and played the instrument on Love You To from the Revolver album. Indian classical music would continue to influence several of his compositions, including Within You Without You, The Inner Light, Bangla Desh, and Dehra Dun.

Known as "The Quiet One," George's musical journey led naturally to an exploration of Eastern philosophy and spirituality. He drew inspiration from the teachings of Swami Vivekananda and Paramahansa Yogananda, interests that continued to shape both his music and his life long after The Beatles had gone their separate ways.

One of my favorite songs from George's post-Beatles career is My Sweet Lord. I first heard it during my school years, long before I understood its blend of the Hebrew word "Hallelujah" with the Hindu mantra "Hare Krishna." Years later, after learning about Rishikesh and George's spiritual journey, the song took on a deeper meaning.

Years Later

Decades after first hearing The Beatles on a Murphy radio, they unexpectedly reappeared in my academic life through a course offered by Dr. Michael Cheney titled The Beatles: Popular Music and Society.

It was the first time I had encountered a university course that used popular music to explore communication, culture, and society. Dr. Cheney created podcasts and multimedia content for the course that broke new ground in higher education by integrating technology into pedagogy. His innovative use of podcasts and multimedia earned national recognition, and his Beatles podcast became one of the most downloaded offerings on iTunes U.

I remain grateful to Dr. Cheney for sharing his knowledge and enthusiasm for The Beatles, and for taking me on a journey unlike any other I experienced in higher education.

Wah-Wah

On my last day at my former workplace, I walked alone to my car in the August heat of the Midwest. I was leaving behind a chapter of my life and preparing to begin another one.

I sat down, started the car, and before I could do anything else, George Harrison's Wah-Wah began playing through CarPlay.

I knew the song immediately. Written during a period of tension as The Beatles were coming to an end, Wah-Wah reflected Harrison's frustration and his desire to move beyond the band.

Hearing it at that particular moment felt both surprising and strangely fitting. My departure was not driven by frustration, but it carried its own mixture of emotions: sadness for what I was leaving behind and anticipation for what was ahead.

For Harrison, Wah-Wah marked a separation from one chapter of his life. For me, it arrived at the threshold of another.

Dichotomy

Today, Chaurasi Kutiya is slowly being reclaimed by the surrounding forest. Trees, shrubs, and vines weave through the abandoned buildings where Maharishi Mahesh Yogi once taught Transcendental Meditation. Efforts are underway to preserve the site and recognize its cultural significance.

The Beatles left the ashram at different times and for different reasons, but their stay proved remarkably productive. They wrote a number of songs during their time in Rishikesh, many of which later appeared on the White Album.

The ashram that once attracted global attention now exists in relative quiet, its buildings gradually returning to nature. Yet the memories attached to such places can endure long after the moments that created them have passed. George Harrison's words from his post-Beatles song All Things Must Pass came to mind:

All things must pass

None of life's strings can last

So I must be on my way

And face another day