Our Incredible Visit to Beatles Ashram in Rishikesh

Beatles Ashram (Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Ashram)

Location:

Beatles Ashram is an ashram located in SwargAshram area, Rishikesh. This ashram is officially known as “Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Ashram” or “Chaurasi Kutia” by the locals. This ashram became popular in the west, when a world-famous musical band Beatles visited here in 1968. After their visit, this ashram became famous as “Beatles ashram”. This ashram has become a pilgrimage for Beatles’ fans & tourists around the world.

Season for travelling:

Officially the ashram is closed for tourists, which is also written on the sign board on the ashram’s gate. At the gate of the ashram, you may see a guard or a policeman. He will ask for some money and let you enter the ashram. The ashram can be visited throughout the year.

• Entry Fee: Rs. 50/- for the foreigners. Locals usually don’t pay any charges.
• Visiting time: 9am - 6pm  

During the winter, the timings may change. As the ashram is not officially open,so the guard will tell you the time, when you should come back.

How to reach there:

From the Parmarth Niketan at Ram Jhula, walk towards Van Prashtha Ashram.Keep moving in the same direction,you will come across ved niketan ashram. After the ved niketan ashram,the  road is full of dirt and you will see no sign boards for the ashram. After a walk of about 5 minutes from Ved Niketan ashram, you will see a dry river stream. The road ends here with a vast open area ahead. Take a left turn and walk towards the forest side. Then on the right, you will see the ashram’s main gate with a sign board.

Preferred Vehicles:

You can visit upto Ved niketan ashram on vehicles. After that the road is not suitable for vehicles and one has to walk to the ashram. So you are advised not to use vehicles to visit this ashram.

Suggested Itinerary for Beatles Ashram

One can easily visit the ashram during daytime and come back within hours.

Accommodation Options at Beatles Ashram

There are some ashrams like Parmarth Niketan,Van Prastha,Ved Niketan or many hotels in Swarg Ashram area where one can stay. The Beatles ashram is located at walking distance from these ashrams.

Medical Facilities near Beatles Ashram

There are no medical stores near the ashram, but some medical stores are situated near Parmarth Niketan, who primarily sell only herbal medicines. So bring your own medicines with you.

Food Joints near Beatles Ashram

There are no food joints near the ashram. So buy your food & drinking water at SwargAshram area, if you plan to spend some hours inside the ashram.

Phone Signals at Beatles Ashram

There is a phone tower built behind the Parmarth Niketan ashram. So one can expect the signals of major Indian telcos like Airtel,Idea,Vodafone,Tata,BSNL.

Petrol Pumps near Beatles Ashram

There is no Petrol pump in that area. You can get the fuel only in the Rishikesh town area.

ATMs near Beatles Ashram

There is no ATM facility at the ashram. But there are ATMs at Ram Jhula area. When you take a right turn from Ram Jhula (the bridge), the road towards Parmarth Niketan has an ATM. So bring some cash with you, to pay at the entrance.

Layout of the ashram:

As you may not find a guide outside the ashram, it becomes difficult to know about the history or buildings inside the ashram. So here, I am writing more about this ashram:

Reception:

When you enter through the main gates of the ashram, there is the reception building on right side.

Private rooms:

There is a trail of two-storey small houses/huts behind the reception area, as you keep walking on the trail. The upper storey was used for meditation & the lower for sleeping and taking baths. These huts are 84 in numbers. Hence the place is also known as “Chaurasi Kutia” (meaning: 84 huts in English) by the locals.

Dormitory Building:

As you keep walking on the trail, on the right side… you will see a 4-storey building. There are many rooms which were built to provide the modern facilities to the guests.The rooms on the upper storeys have balconies on both sides.

Eggs:

On the top of the building, you will see egg like structures. There is a metal ladder outside the egg to climb. There is a floor some feet below on the top, where one can stand. When you speak something inside the egg or chant a mantra, it produces very strong acoustics effects…

Levitation hall:

There is a building near the Dormitory Building, which was known as “levitation hall”. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi was famous in the west for his teachings specially “Transcendental Meditation” techniques. Just below the main hall, a large number of small rooms are built, which look like haunting underground caves. These rooms were used for the meditation by the practitioners.

Satsang Hall (Beatles Cathedral):

In this building, you will see a lot of beautiful paintings on the walls. The painting of maharishi Mahesh yogi is on the main platform. On the opposite wall, the painting of spiritual leaders along with Beatles is seen. On other walls, some more creative paintings and messages are written.

Helipad:

At the ashram ground, there is a small helicopter pad too.

Other attractions on the route to Beatles Ashram

Gita Bhawan ashram: After crossing the Ram Jhula bridge, you enter the swarg ashram area. Take a right turn. Keep walking on the road and after 100 meters, on the left side there is an ashram “Gita Bhawan”. In the midst of this, there is a beautiful temple dedicated to Lord Krishna.
Parmarth Niketan ashram: Next to the Gita Bhawan ashram, you see Parmarth Niketan ashram. This ashram is famous for Ganga Aarti. It has very beautiful garden inside.

Van Prashtha ashram: On the same road, keep walking some more steps, there are other buildings of Gita Bhawan and then comes Van Prashtha ashram. This ashram is very beautiful and quite peaceful.

Ved Niketan ashram: There is road adjacent to Van Prashtha ashram. Just cross the road and then you see Ved Niketan ashram. There is a vast open area outside this ashram including a Helipad.

Who should visit this place:

If you are a fan of Beatles group, then this place has much importance for you. Even if you are a tourist, this place is worth a visit & offers quite different atmosphere than other ashrams located in SwargAshram area.

If you are an archeologist, an adventrous person or just peace loving, then you can spend several hours exploring this ashram. This ashram is spread across several acres of land. You will see different types of constructions inside the ashram like honeycombs, meditation chambers. I would like to add that in spite of the beauty & serenity of this place, one should be aware of the dangers too. As this area is touching the forest, there is also some danger of wild elephants and leopards.Though the ashram has a gate on the forest side, which is always locked.

Conclusion:

Beatles ashram is a must visit place in Rishikesh town. The location and its surrounding area offer a journey into the past. This ashram was abandoned in 1997 and now is the property of Indian Forest Department. Recently the government has taken a decision for its makeover and to make it a tourist place. So if you want to see this ashram in its originality, you must visit the ashram, before any type of construction or makeover happens at this ashram.