ALL POSTS

SPITFIRE GAUTAM

“Live your life by a compass, not a clock” – Stephen Covey

Picture of Spitfire Gautam or Gautam Lahiri

gautamlahiri

, ,
No comments on Part 4 – Experience the Beatles Connection at Chaurasi Kutiya, Rishikesh India

Part 4 – Experience the Beatles Connection at Chaurasi Kutiya, Rishikesh India

The Abey road picture of the Beatles by gautam lahiri

Remember the notes of the famous song “It’s been a hard day’s night …” that reverberated throughout the universe in the 1960s’.

The Beatles group photo that we saw at Ram jhula, Rishikesh by gautam lahiri
The Beatles group picture dotted
the Ram Jhula area, Rishikesh

Beatles association

The meditation domes at Chaurasi Kutiya, Rishikesh, India by Gautam Lahiri
The meditation domes at
Chaurasi Kutiya, Rishikesh

From 1960 to 70, the flamboyant music group ‘BEATLES’ took the world by storm with their unique counterculture beats as they merged classical music and traditional pop.

At the peak of their career, the Beatles in the 1960s’, paid a visit to India at Rishikesh. They were attracted to the simple natural technique of meditation from ancient Vedic tradition – Transcendental medication at Chaurasi Kutiya, founded by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.

Amazing State government neglect

On a hot bleak day, under a overcast sky we drove to this unique place to discover the Beatles Ashram.

The entrance to Chaurasi kutiya, Rishikesh, India by gautam lahiri
The entrance to Chaurasi Kutiya, Rishikesh

As we explored, a sense of melancholy gripped us.

This iconic ashram, got its name of “chaurasi” or 84 domes.

Once the seat of transcendental mediation under Maharishi’s leadership now stood ruined, neglected, and completely devoid of maintenance 😔

The authority charges a hefty sum from every visitor but does nothing for its upkeep. Very unfortunate!

Journey through pictures

The gradient walk way that connected the entrance to the buildings by gautam lahiri
The gradient walk way that connected the entrance to the
buildings, Chaurasi Kutiya, Rishikesh
The stone bordered road that went up to the meditation domes by gautam lahiri
The stone bordered road that went up to the meditation
domes, Chaurasi Kutiya, Rishikesh
The broken staircase within the derelict mediation domes by gautam lahiri
The broken staircase within the
derelict mediation domes, Chaurasi Kutiya, Rishikesh

Destroyed graffiti edifices

Broken visitor's room still standing by gautam lahiri
Broken visitor’s room still standing,
Chaurasi Kutiya, Rishikesh
Beautiful Image on the room interiors, Chaurasia Kutiya by gautam lahiri
Beautiful Image on the room interiors,
Chaurasi Kutiya, Rishikesh
Graffiti inside the visitor's room, Chaurasia Kutiya, Rishikesh by gautam lahiri
Graffiti inside the visitor’s room,
Chaurasi Kutiya, Rishikesh
Unique graffiti that adorned the interiors, Chaurasia Kutiya, Rishikesh by gautam lahiri
Unique graffiti that adorned the interiors,
Chaurasi Kutiya, Rishikesh
Graffiti of John Lennon and Yoko, Chaurasia Kutiya, Rishikesh by gautam lahiri
Graffiti of John Lennon and Yoko,
Chaurasi Kutiya, Rishikesh
Graffiti of John Lennon and Yoko, Chaurasia Kutiya, Rishikesh by gautam lahiri
Graffiti of John Lennon and Yoko,
Chaurasi Kutiya, Rishikesh
The conference room with Beatles and Mahesh Yogi graffiti, Chaurasia Kutiya, Rishikesh by gautam lahiri
The conference room with Beatles and Mahesh Yogi
graffiti, Chaurasi Kutiya, Rishikesh
The conference room with Beatles and Mahesh Yogi graffiti, Chaurasia Kutiya, Rishikesh by gautam lahiri
Side entrance wall, conference room,
Chaurasi Kutiya, Rishikesh
Graffiti and broken walls, of the students, Chaurasia Kutiya, Rishikesh by gautam lahiri
Graffiti and broken walls, of the students,
Chaurasi Kutiya, Rishikesh
Graffiti around the staircase of the pyramid step building, Chaurasia Kutiya, Rishikesh by gautam lahiri
Graffiti around the staircase of the pyramidal stepped
building, Chaurasi Kutiya, Rishikesh
The fast fading image of the Yogi on a broken wall of a building, Chaurasia Kutiya, Rishikesh by gautam lahiri
The fast fading image of the Yogi on a broken wall
of a building, Chaurasi Kutiya, Rishikesh
The graffiti wall of the broken kitchen, Chaurasia Kutiya, Rishikesh by gautam lahiri
The graffiti wall of the broken kitchen,
Chaurasi Kutiya, Rishikesh
A graffiti painted abandoned building beside the student's quarter, Chaurasia Kutiya, Rishikesh by gautam lahiri
A graffiti painted abandoned building beside the
student’s quarter, Chaurasi Kutiya, Rishikesh
The stepped building had fierce looking graffities, Chaurasia Kutiya, Rishikesh by gautam lahiri
The stepped building had fierce looking graffities,
Chaurasi Kutiya, Rishikesh

Famous conference hall, Chaurasi Kutiya

The main podium from where Mahesh Yogi addressed the Beatles and the students, Chaurasia Kutiya, Rishikesh by gautam lahiri
The main podium from where Mahesh Yogi addressed the
Beatles and the students, Chaurasi Kutiya, Rishikesh
Eastern entrance of the conference hall, Chaurasia Kutiya, Rishikesh by gautam lahiri
Eastern entrance of the conference hall,
Chaurasi Kutiya, Rishikesh
Visitors in a reminiscent mood at the conference hall, Chaurasia Kutiya, Rishikesh by gautam lahiri
Visitors in a reminiscent mood at the conference
hall, Chaurasi Kutiya, Rishikesh

Ashram’s meditation domes

These were self contained meditation domes where students meditated, Chaurasia Kutiya, Rishikesh by gautam lahiri
These were self contained meditation domes where
students meditated, Chaurasi Kutiya, Rishikesh
These were self contained meditation domes where students meditated, Chaurasia Kutiya, Rishikesh by gautam lahiri
Numbered meditation domes built along the river where
students meditated, Chaurasi Kutiya, Rishikesh
Ganges river ran along the Ashram's boundary wall, Chaurasia Kutiya by gautam lahiri
Ganges river ran along the Ashram’s boundary
wall, Chaurasi Kutiya, Rishikesh
Vast areas of open areas within the premise of Chaurasia Kutiya, Rishikesh by gautam lahiri
Vast areas of open areas within the premise
of Chaurasi Kutiya, Rishikesh
Broken cafeteria area of the ashram, Chaurasia Kutiya by gautam lahiri
Broken cafeteria area of the ashram, Chaurasi Kutiya, Rishkesh

The Ashram kitchen

This was ashram's kitchen at Chaurasia Kutiya by gautam lahiri
This was ashram’s kitchen at Chaurasi Kutiya, Rishikesh
The ashram had a post office, at Chaurasia Kutiya, Rishikesh by gautam lahiri
The entrance to the kitchen, at
Chaurasi Kutiya, Rishikesh

Ashram’s Post-office

The Ashram's post-office at Chaurasia Kutiya, Rishikesh by gautam lahiri
The Ashram’s post-office at Chaurasi Kutiya, Rishikesh

Ashram’s important buildings

The student hostels within the deep recesses of Chaurasia Kautiya by gautam lahiri
The student hostels within the deep recesses
of Chaurasi Kautiya, Rishikesh
The international guests, and dignitaries stayed in these now unsafe structures at Chaurasiya Kutiya by gautam lahiri
The international guests, and dignitaries stayed in these now
unsafe structures at Chaurasi Kutiya, Rishikesh
A unique pyramidal stepped building, with large classrooms at Chaurasia Kutiya by gautam lahiri
A unique pyramidal stepped building, with large
classrooms at Chaurasi Kutiya, Rishikesh
Meditative domes atop the roof of the pyramidal building at Chaurasia Kutiya by gautam lahiri
Meditative domes atop the roof of the pyramidal
building at Chaurasi Kutiya, Rishikesh
A picture portraying the Beatles, and the Maharishi at Ram jula, Rishikesh by gautam lahiri
A picture portraying the Beatles, and the
Maharishi at Ram jula, Rishikesh

As we stepped out of the Chaurasi Kutiya, and ambled across the Ram jhula bridge, we saw life size pictures of the Beatles with short narratives of their association.

  • Rajaji Tiger Reserve owns this place
  • The place is open from 10 am to 4 pm IST
  • The Kutiya is near Laxmanjhula Brige/The Ganga river on Neelkanth-Rishikesh motor road

Inference

Distance from New Delhi to Rishikesh245 kms
Best time to visitMid-February to Early April
TimePreferably early morning or late afternoon
ParkingIn and around Laxman Jhula along the hilly roads
Where to stayNumerous hotels throng Laxman Jhula. You can also stay at Ratta Pani, about 12 km away from the town center
Places to visitTriveni Ghat, Beatles Ashram, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Ashram, Neer Garh waterfall, Tera Manzil temple, Parmarth Niketan, Neelkanth Mahadev temple, Rajaji National Park, Shivpuri
Pocket pinchRs.200 for Indian visitor and Rs.1200 for foreigners. Only cash and card accepted. No UPI facility.
TRAVEL BASICS

My Rishikesh experience series

Part 1 – Images of Ganges River, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, Indiahttps://wp.me/pbXnOA-2WI
Part 2 – River rafting, Rishikesh – Navigating the dangerous watershttps://wp.me/pbXnOA-2Wf
Part 3 – Pictures of Ganga Aarti, Parmarth Niketan, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, Indiahttps://wp.me/pbXnOA-2Xv
Part 5 – Chilla Dam: A Hydroelectric Marvel in Rajaji Tiger Reserve, Rishikeshhttps://wp.me/pbXnOA-30y
Part 6 – Rishikesh: A Haven of Yoga, Temples, and Naturehttps://wp.me/pbXnOA-31H
Rishikesh travel series data
HOME
ALL POSTS
gautamlahiri's avatar

Posted by:

gautamlahiri

Previous Post
Next Post

Leave a comment