The Beatles (Maharishi Mahesh Yogi) Ashram - Rishikesh, India

The Beatles (Maharishi Mahesh Yogi) Ashram 
Rishikesh, India
Prices: $$$$$

Sign on Wall Leading to Maharishi Mahesh Ashram

In February 1968 The Beatles came to Rishikesh and stayed at the ashram of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, writing many songs for the White Album and others, including Revolution #9 in the small meditation huts you see in eight of the last ten photos.

Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr left in March, returning to England, but John Lennon and George Harrison remained until John had a falling-out with the yogi over a rumored sexual liaison with a young westerner, some reportedly thought was Mia Farrow, who had accompanied the Fab Four on the trip. Before leaving, the Maharishi asked Lennon if they could talk to find out what was wrong, but John stated something to the effect of: "if you're so cosmic, you'll know why" and they were off, apparently plagued by car troubles that Lennon attributed to some type of "spell" the Mahirishi had put on them before their departure.

Entrance on North Side of Ashram

The "Beatles Ashram", as it has become known, closed in 1994 and has been taken over by jungle where only the empty shells of the former glorious ashram remain. Only parrots, peacocks, monkeys, elephants, and leopards remain along the banks of the Ganges where music history was made some 46 years ago. 

Follow the path in front of the Parmarth Niketan Ashram south less than half a kilometer until it turns into a sand Jeep trail. You will see the Ganges on your right, where there happened to be a funeral pyre the day I was there, along with an old guest house and makeshift shacks. You may see the "Beatles Ashram" sign on the wall on your left if it is still there. When you reach the end of the path at the dry river crossing, make a left up the riverbed and follow the intertwined paths between the rocks. You will see a park and high wall on your right and about 150 meters further east you will find the gate to what used to be the Maharishi Mahesh Ashram.

The entrance fee will run around 100 rupees ($1.60) per person, but try to haggle. There will likely be  a "guide" waiting there to offer his services for a "donation", so feel free to partake or not. I did and it was well worth the 200 rupees ($3.20) I gave him, probably twice what he was expecting for an hour of his time.

As you meander through the dense jungle, you will go up a hill past small domed rock two-story structures that served as living and meditation quarters for ashram guests. A little further up on the right (you will see a small entry/exit gate) are three of these that the Beatles "reportedly" used for song writing during their stay. The second, bungalow "#9", I was told by the guide, is where Revolution (1 and 9) were written by Lennon.

The ashram was a small city at one time, housing up to 2,000 guests and providing banking, a post office, shops, kitchens and cafeterias, bungalows, large single-room dorms (where the Beatles and their entourage lived during their stay), meditation halls, and the quarters of the Maharishi Mahesh atop the cliff overlooking the Ganges, complete with air conditioning and a small swimming pool.

You can see everything in an hour to an hour-and-a-half or you can spend an entire day meandering through the jungle, exploring buildings, or meditating in a mecca of rock and roll ... The Beatles Ashram.

CombatCritic Gives Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (The Beatles) Ashram 9 ... Number 9, Number 9, Number 9 ... Out Of 10 Bombs ... BOMBS ARE GREAT!

Title:  The Beatles (Maharishi Mahesh Yogi) Ashram - Rishikesh, India

Key Words: Beatles Ashram, Beatles, ashrams, ashram, Rishikesh, rishekesh, India, White Album, The Beatles, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, George Harrison, Revolution

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Murphy's Top-10 "Combat" Laws Of The ...

Locker Room: If there are two or more people in a locker room, their lockers shall be in close proximity to or immediately next to one another's.

Supermarket Checkout: Whichever checkout lane you choose, there shall be a cashier change, price check, or check writer in front of you and all other lanes shall move more quickly than the one you chose.

Airplane: The crying/unruly child, most obese or largest person, and/or biggest asshole (the guy who keeps his phone on during takeoff, the undercover vaper, etc.) shall be seated next to you.

Traffic Jam: The lane with the fastest moving traffic shall slow to a crawl as soon as you move to that lane with the cars in the lane you were in whizzing past you.

Clothing: When putting on a shirt, pair of pants, sock or hat in the dark or when tired, it shall go on backwards, causing you to take it off, turn it around and put it on correctly.

Dryer: If there are at least two socks in a clothes dryer, one sock shall go missing, never to be seen again.

Golf: When hitting a shot, the ball shall hit a tree (even though we all know they are "90% air") or come to rest immediately next to or behind said tree.

Phone Calls: Even though you rarely receive a phone call, someone shall call you as soon as you need to do something important (going into a job interview) or are otherwise in a rush (late for an appointment).

Car: Your car shall run out of gas, fail to start, or die at the most inopportune time or in the most remote place possible. The battery on your phone shall also be almost if not completely dead or there shall be little if any signal available at your location.

Price Check: Whether you have two or 50 items in the store checkout lane, at least one item shall scan with the wrong price, causing you to decide whether or not to hold-up the line for a price check or eat the price difference (which is ALWAYS more than the price listed on the shelf).

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Jaipur: Jammie's Is Jammin' In Jaipur ... It's "The Bomb"

Jammie's Kitchen

52, Green Park, Queens Road, Khatipura, Jaipur 302021, India

Phone: +911412358308

Website: http://www.jammieskitchen.com

Prices: $$$$

What happens when a five-star chef opens a restaurant in the suburbs of Jaipur, serving top quality food with outstanding service, in an upscale environment at extremely reasonable prices? You get one of the best values money can buy, so if you are in Jaipur, or anywhere close for that matter, you MUST go to Jammie’s!

We were recommended Jammie’s by our host at Rampura Kothi, our guesthouse just a few blocks away. We entered early by Indian standards, about 6:45, because we were leaving very early the next morning for Goa and needed to pack and hit the rack. The restaurant was deserted except for several well-dressed staff standing around as the door was held open for us and we were seated.

Tablecloths, cloth napkins, nice cutlery, and a candle adorned the table and the room was warmly decorated in an upscale, modern design. The service impeccable, we had one of the six or so waiters at our table even if we only looked like we might need something. Our order was quickly taken and our first courses (appetizers) arrived after 15-20 minutes, rather quickly considering what we had ordered.

My wife had the Mushroom Quiche (325 rupees/$5.20), a short crust pastry filled with mushrooms and cheese topped with beaten eggs and cream and baked in the oven. It was remarkably big, probably six to seven inches in diameter, perfectly baked, with a crisp, thin crust and a light, savory filling that was not moist and not dry … perfection!  I decided on the Croquettes de Pommes de Terre au Fromage (295 rupees/$4.75), potato croquettes stuffed with cheese, coated in breadcrumbs and fried, and served with a zesty house side salad. Again, they were perfectly cooked and delicious with six rather large croquettes and a salad that was small, but extremely tasty and spicy.

For our entrees, my wife had the Wild Mushroom Risotto (350 rupees/$5.65), fresh Shitake mushrooms and Arborio rice finished with dry white wine Parmesan cheese and I the Chicken Cordon Bleu (395 rupees/$6.40), marinated chicken breasts stuffed with ham and cheese, coated with bread crumbs, fried, and served with parsley potatoes and garden vegetables. The risotto was good with just the right consistency, but a tad on the bland side. Fortunately, it came with a small cup of grated parmigiano cheese, enhancing the flavor and experience. The cordon bleu came two on the plate and were, again, perfectly cooked with the outside crispy, not burnt, and the ham and cheese at the appropriate temperature on the inside. I would have preferred mashed potatoes, but the potatoes were well seasoned and delicious and the vegetables nicely steamed. I have to say I have not had a better chicken cordon bleu anywhere in the World, especially at that price.

Jammie stopped by the table after our meal to introduce himself and I complimented him on his fine restaurant, outstanding food, and amazing service, telling him that I would highly recommend Jammie’s to all of my readers, so …

CombatCritic Gives Jammie’s Kitchen A VERY RARE 10 Out Of 10 Bombs … BOMBS ARE GREAT!

Ten Bombs Equates To:

"Phonetic spelling of the acronym HUA, which stands for 'Heard Understood Acknowledged.' Originally used by the British in the late 1800's in Afghanistan. More recently adopted by the United States Army to indicate an affirmative or a pleased response." - Urban Dictionary

"The Department of Military Science and Leadership, University of Tennessee claim HOOAH 'refers to or means anything except no' ... Regardless of its meaning ... the term is an expression of high morale, confidence, motivation and spirit." - WarChronicle.com

"The U.S. Air Force stole 'HOOAH' from the Army because we were part of the Army until 1947 and rather than waste a bunch of time coming up with something new and unique, we said 'screw it, let's go with HOOAH' ... thanks Army ... HOOAH! - CombatCritic

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Title: Jammie's Is Jammin' In Jaipur ... It's "The Bomb"

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