The Beatles and India – One last look

Posted on by Tom

Three weeks ago, I reviewed “Across the Universe: The Beatles in India” (2018) by Ajoy Bose, a thorough and informative account of the Beatles’ 1968 visit to India to see Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. See that review here. Because I’m somewhat of an obsessive completist, I had also borrowed the resources below from our local library, which I’ll comment on only briefly.

By 1968, the Beatles were jaded by their worldwide celebrity and were searching for the meaning of life. However, they were looking in the wrong places. George Harrison had become intrigued with Hinduism and introduced his bandmates. The boys were looking for peace and “spirituality” within themselves in accordance with Hinduism. Lasting peace and genuine spirituality are only found in Jesus Christ.

5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ – John 3:5-7

The Beatles’ trip to India in search of truth was ultimately futile and disappointing. The Maharishi (d. 2008) had no real answers. It’s sad that Harrison’s involvement with “Eastern spirituality” influenced millions.

The Beatles in India
By Paul Saltzman
Insight Editions, 2018, 100 pp.

Paul Saltzman was a 25YO budding photographer/filmaker when he entreated associates of the Maharishi to allow him to enter the Rishikesh ashram at the time the Beatles were in residence. This book presents 40 large-scale color photos of the Beatles and their wives and other celebrity residents of the ashram who were present at the time, Donovan Leitch, Mike Love, Mia Farrow.

The Beatles and India: An Enduring Love Affair
Directed by Ajoy Bose
Abacus Media Rights, 2021, 1h 36m

Bose authored the previously-reviewed “Across the Universe: The Beatles in India” and also directed this companion documentary of the Beatles’ residency at Rishikesh. “The Beatles and India” is well done with plenty of film and audio snippets of the Beatles and the other principals of Rishikesh 1968. The only “criticism” is that a large number of the interviewees are Indian who speak English as a second language and are sometimes difficult to understand. I should have turned on the sub-titles.

13 thoughts on “The Beatles and India – One last look”

  2. I’m no Hindu nor Beatles fan; but I do like history; these books seems interesting to me; by chance do you know what part of India the Beatles visited? I need to google that for more info when I get back home from church’s evening service…

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    1. Thanks! For me it was a “fascinating” bit of 1960s counter-culture history. Everyone was buzzing about the Beatles’ trip to India. Pretty soon many of the male celebrities were wearing Nehru jackets. Looking back it was the start of infatuation with “Eastern spirituality.”
      Yup, the Beatles visited the Maharishi at his ashram in Rishikesh in Northern India at the foothills of the Himilayas.

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      3. Sigh..to see the paganism firsthand, it’s so different than the airbrush romanticized version of Hinduism that I see Hippies present. The caste system is so oppressive

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      4. RE: airbrushed and caste system
        I can imagine seeing Hinduism firsthand is quite different that the idealized hippie/New Age version.
        The first book I read from Ajoy Bose about the Beatles visit mentioned that Maharishi Mahesh Yogi couldn’t be a true shaman/guru because he was of a lower caste, but MMY emphasized that he was a close disciple of a shaman of the highest caste to try get around the limitation.

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  3. Answering your comment: Thanks for your help with guest posts! I’ll let you know by this weekend’s end of when your post will be scheduled brother. I really do appreciate it; it seems so far there’s fewer posts this time around and this trip is going to be a longer trip of all the trips I have done this year. So big thanks for your help!
    Tangent: I. notice Michael Wilson’s comment has not been on my notification for some reason; just in case it might good to check pending comments and spam comments to see if he might be commenting but you are not notified; WP has been acting up lately

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    1. You’re welcome, Jimmy. I was about 90% done with the Spafford book, but was also thinking about a topic for the guest post, and then, bingo, I put two and two together.
      I’m going to email you about a tangent topic.

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  4. Have you ever heard Elvis’ rosary song? It’s one of his worst ‘gospel’ songs:

    As long as you don’t take it too seriously, it can actually be kind of funny.

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    1. Thanks for bringing this song to my attention. I wasn’t aware of it. Elvis is often cited for having had a “strong Christian faith” but I have my strong doubts.

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