McCartney Times

A NORTH INDIAN state will mark the 50th anniversary of the Beatles’ visit to the country in the spring next year, Harshvadan Trivedi writes from Ahmedabad.

Satpal Maharaj, the Uttarakhand tourism minister, said George Har­rison’s son Dhani will be invited to celebrations in north India.

At the height of their fame in Feb­ruary 1968, the British band visited Indian guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s ashram in Rishikesh, where they were introduced to transcendental meditation among other things.

Maharaj, who was in Gujarat to campaign for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the upcoming state elections, revealed that the golden jubilee celebration of the Beatles’ arrival will be held in Rishikesh, at the Rajaji National Park. It is likely to take place in the first week of March next year, he added.

The Beatles composed around 40 new songs during their nearly two-month stay at Rishikesh in 1968 un­der the guidance of Mahesh yogi.

Maharaj said the government was trying to promote winter tourism in the state and there were plans to hold international winter games tournaments at Auli, a skiing resort near Badrinath in Chamoli district.

Uttarakhand was also working on a 125 km Rishikesh-Karnprayag rail project which would make travel to the holy pilgrimage locations of Ke­darnath and Badrinath easier.

Source: Harrison’s son to get Ticket to Ride – Eastern Eye