Dehra Dun : The Uttarakhand government will be dedicating three days of its Yoga Mahotsav scheduled from Mar 1 to Mar 7 as the Beatle’s Festival to commemorate the arrival of the famous music group to the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi ashram in Rishikesh 50 years ago.
It may be recalled that all the four members –John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrisan – of the renowned music group had come to the the ashram of the Maharishi, along the banks of the river Ganga in Rishikesh in 1968, to partake lessons in transcendental meditation and had stayed there for almost three months, during which period they also wrote a number of songs.
The ashram, which is now but a shade of its pristine past and is known as ‘chaurasi (84) kutiya’ is visited by fans of the Beatles and also by yoga practitioners from all over the world. The state tourism department is exopecting a number of fans and yoga practitioners to turn up during the Beatle’s Festival.
Tourism minister Satpal Maharaj said that it had been decided to cut down the entry fees to the ashram, which is now situated in the Rajaji Tiger Reserve, from Rs 150 to Rs 100 for Indians and Rs 300 from Rs 600 for foreign nationals. “With lesser fee more tourists will visit the ashram and the tourism department has been asked to renovate some rooms and the meditation centre”, he added.
A journalist with over 40 years of experience, Jagdish Bhatt was Editor, Hill Post (Uttarakhand).
Jagdish had worked with India’s leading English dailies, which include Times of India, Indian Express, Pioneer and several other reputed publications. A highly acclaimed journalist, he was a recipient of many awards
Jagdish Bhatt, aged 72, breathed his last on 28th August 2021 at his Dehradun residence.
