“Still My Guitar Gently Weeps”
Street Photography
In February of 1968, the Beatles “retreated” to the ashram of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, just outside of Rishikesh, India. They arrived for the advanced Transcendental Meditation training with their wives, girlfriends, and an entourage of followers. Their time in India and their immersion into Eastern Spirituality forever changed the rest of the world, for the songs which the Beatles wrote during these weeks inspired the masses.
I had always wanted to visit the ashram, but the two prior times I had been in Rishikesh, I had been unable to gain access. It turns out that the only way “in” these days is to bribe a park guard, who will silently slip you through an ancient metal gate.
So, on this third visit —success!
We were in!
But, so were the ravages of time. Where once John, Paul, George and Ringo played in the evenings for the other attendees, and Maharishi had given his talks, the walls had fallen in. Moss had crept into the cracks. And tree roots had grown through buildings. The entire area had been fenced off because of the danger of wild elephants passing through.
Can you almost hear the echoes of their voices dancing off of these concrete walls?
While at the ashram, the Beatles stayed in rounded meditation huts. The bottom half is just large enough to sleep in and has a tiny bathroom. But, the winding stairs lead up to the meditation dome, which opens to the outdoors.
Mia Farrow and her sister, Prudence, were among the residents of the ashram while the Beatles were there. Prudence loved her meditation time so much, that she often would not come out for many hours at a time. The song, “Dear Prudence…won’t you come out and play?” was written for her.
While there, the Beatles wrote at least 30 songs.
We stepped out of the ruins into a monsoon-like rain. After dashing across a common area, we ducked into the “dorms,” where most people were housed. Here, the pale green and pink ceramic tiles still lined the walls of the bathrooms, but some of the floors had fallen in. Stepping out onto the rooftop, I was greeted by the sight of this full rainbow over Rishikesh.
These moments reminded me of the ephemerality of time, the preciousness of being in the “now,” and the power of Mother Nature, who has reclaimed so much of what was here. I felt as if I were a million years and miles away from what it must have been like when the Beatles were here. And yet, it was not so very long ago at all…
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Photos and story ©Erika Burkhalter. All rights reserved.
