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Across the Universe: The Beatles in India
The music's still playing, fifty years on . . .
It is 1965, and John, Paul, George and Ringo have lost themselves. Beatlemania is at its peak and the boys are overwhelmed by screaming fans, more money than they can count, and fame beyond their dreams. But one day, on the sets of the surreal Help! , George discovers the sitar, starting the boys off on a journey filled with drug-induced introspection, transnational spirituality and damned fine music.
It is 1968, and John, Paul, George and Ringo have decided to find themselves. Following an eerie series of events, as if devised by fate, the boys are brought to Rishikesh, India, in pursuit of eternal happiness through a secret mantra from Transcendental Meditation guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Hoping to get the better of their personal demons, they seek to break the shackles of stardom even though it begins the unravelling of the band.
Across the Universe etches in lyrical detail a picture of the world's greatest band torn apart by their inner dissensions yet bursting with creative genius. Full of characters and happenings delightful and evil, of comic excess and dark whimsy, the book traces the path the Beatles took to India and the dramatic denouement of their sojourn at the Himalayan ashram. It is a modern fairy tale about four people the world has loved like no one else.
It is 1965, and John, Paul, George and Ringo have lost themselves. Beatlemania is at its peak and the boys are overwhelmed by screaming fans, more money than they can count, and fame beyond their dreams. But one day, on the sets of the surreal Help! , George discovers the sitar, starting the boys off on a journey filled with drug-induced introspection, transnational spirituality and damned fine music.
It is 1968, and John, Paul, George and Ringo have decided to find themselves. Following an eerie series of events, as if devised by fate, the boys are brought to Rishikesh, India, in pursuit of eternal happiness through a secret mantra from Transcendental Meditation guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Hoping to get the better of their personal demons, they seek to break the shackles of stardom even though it begins the unravelling of the band.
Across the Universe etches in lyrical detail a picture of the world's greatest band torn apart by their inner dissensions yet bursting with creative genius. Full of characters and happenings delightful and evil, of comic excess and dark whimsy, the book traces the path the Beatles took to India and the dramatic denouement of their sojourn at the Himalayan ashram. It is a modern fairy tale about four people the world has loved like no one else.
- GenresMusic
336 pages, Paperback
Published May 1, 2022
8 people are currently reading
93 people want to read
About the author
Ajoy Bose
5 books5 followers"Ajoy Bose has been regarded, in recent years, as the leading expert on Mayawati and her Dalit politics. For nearly four decades, he has been associated with a wide range of media. He is at present a senior political columnist and television commentator, published in leading newspapers and magazines in India and abroad and appearing on major channels. He began his journalistic career in the early 1970s with Patriot newspaper and Link magazine, going on to become Delhi correspondent of Sunday magazine, and in the 1980s started the Delhi edition of The Sunday Observer, India’s first Sunday newspaper. In the 1990s he was with the Pioneer newspaper where he became the Executive Editor. He was also India correspondent of the Guardian, London from 1978 to 1996 and later the New Delhi representative for the Khaleej Times, Dubai. He has broadcast extensively on the BBC, Voice of America and Radio Nederlands. During the 1998 national elections he co-hosted along with Vinod Dua and Mark Tully the popular television poll programme Chunauv Chunauti for Sony television. In 2004, he produced a weekly foreign affairs television show, Global Challenges, on Doordarshan News. Ajoy Bose has co-written two books, the highly acclaimed For Reasons of State: Delhi Under Emergency and Shah Commission Begins."
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 25, 2022
Re read review:
Ajoy is like the aunty next door gossiping about his famous friends, the Beatles. The narrative is so easy and full of trivia about the Beatles that it doesn’t feel like reading just a chunk of their decade long career, but we understand them a lot better, as personalities and products of their time. Highly recommend, especially enjoyed the easy narrative.
***
First read review:
‘I once thought of writing a novel called Lucy in the sky with diamonds with each chapter titled by the name of a Beatles song. Because they cover the entire gamut of every feeling, everything that could happen in anyone's life. '
-an excerpt from an interview of a Beatles fan.
.
Their ashram life at Rishikesh was one of the most creative phases of their journey as Fab Four.
Reading about their life this way, as a crash course into one of their great albums, White Album gave a great insight into where the boys went for inspiration and how they functioned in creating art.
Ajoy is like the aunty next door gossiping about his famous friends, the Beatles. The narrative is so easy and full of trivia about the Beatles that it doesn’t feel like reading just a chunk of their decade long career, but we understand them a lot better, as personalities and products of their time. Highly recommend, especially enjoyed the easy narrative.
***
First read review:
‘I once thought of writing a novel called Lucy in the sky with diamonds with each chapter titled by the name of a Beatles song. Because they cover the entire gamut of every feeling, everything that could happen in anyone's life. '
-an excerpt from an interview of a Beatles fan.
.
Their ashram life at Rishikesh was one of the most creative phases of their journey as Fab Four.
Reading about their life this way, as a crash course into one of their great albums, White Album gave a great insight into where the boys went for inspiration and how they functioned in creating art.
August 3, 2018
This is a fuckin good book. An excellent read and its purely engaging. Ajoy Bose has not just written about beatles in India but follows the life journey of beatles upto its breakup in an excellent storyteling format connecting so many dots. If you are a beatle fanboy, this book is unputdownable
November 8, 2018
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Probably the best book about The Beatles I’ve read. Entertaining and enlightening.
May 21, 2023
Across the Universe: The Beatles in India
Ajoy Bose
There is no denying the fact that a lot has been written about the Beatles. John Lennon, George Harrison, Paul McCartney, and Ringo Starr have captivated generations of music lovers all over the world. Their charm, both on and off the stage, has made headlines during as well as after the lifetime of the band. Their lifestyle, their bohemian philosophy, their drug-induced reveries, and the sensational discography have motivated music critics, political scientists, and connoisseurs of art to delve deep into their minds.
However, the Beatles also had an intimate connection with the Global South. Their sudden sojourn to Rishikesh, a picturesque location in present-day Uttarakhand, India, is often a forgotten chapter in their otherwise eventful life. Harrison’s initiation into Indian Classical music, along with his reverential bond with Ravi Shankar, the sudden demise of Epstein, Beatles manager, and the collective decision of the band to stay far away from the maddening crowd of celebrities and fans prompted them to come to India. They retreated in the ashram of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the giggling Guru, whose presence, one can argue, did more harm than good to the ‘fab four’ of the Beatles.
Ajoy Bose’s book stands out because he has painstakingly created the narrative by bringing together multiple pieces of the Beatles’ journey. He provides a comprehensive account of the days of the Beatles’ fame, the individuated journeys of the stars, and the aura of their music by providing a plethora of secondary sources in the text. Some of the sections immediately inspire one to switch on to their favourite Beatles track and listen to it, as the book takes you through the moments of its composition. Indeed, the book is a treat for those who fell in love with the Beatles in their school/college days.
At the same time, Bose allows us an entry into the enchanting inner world of the Beatles. Their uncharacteristic infatuation with a Guru was one of the most important points in their lives. After their brief escape to Rishikesh, the band was never the same. Bose also scathingly attacks the dogmatism of a Guru dressed in saffron robes, who apparently preached nothing that could be termed substantial. Though he never directly said it, the book portrayed the guru in a very poor light.
But if you are a Beatles fan, you ought to read this book.
Ajoy Bose
There is no denying the fact that a lot has been written about the Beatles. John Lennon, George Harrison, Paul McCartney, and Ringo Starr have captivated generations of music lovers all over the world. Their charm, both on and off the stage, has made headlines during as well as after the lifetime of the band. Their lifestyle, their bohemian philosophy, their drug-induced reveries, and the sensational discography have motivated music critics, political scientists, and connoisseurs of art to delve deep into their minds.
However, the Beatles also had an intimate connection with the Global South. Their sudden sojourn to Rishikesh, a picturesque location in present-day Uttarakhand, India, is often a forgotten chapter in their otherwise eventful life. Harrison’s initiation into Indian Classical music, along with his reverential bond with Ravi Shankar, the sudden demise of Epstein, Beatles manager, and the collective decision of the band to stay far away from the maddening crowd of celebrities and fans prompted them to come to India. They retreated in the ashram of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the giggling Guru, whose presence, one can argue, did more harm than good to the ‘fab four’ of the Beatles.
Ajoy Bose’s book stands out because he has painstakingly created the narrative by bringing together multiple pieces of the Beatles’ journey. He provides a comprehensive account of the days of the Beatles’ fame, the individuated journeys of the stars, and the aura of their music by providing a plethora of secondary sources in the text. Some of the sections immediately inspire one to switch on to their favourite Beatles track and listen to it, as the book takes you through the moments of its composition. Indeed, the book is a treat for those who fell in love with the Beatles in their school/college days.
At the same time, Bose allows us an entry into the enchanting inner world of the Beatles. Their uncharacteristic infatuation with a Guru was one of the most important points in their lives. After their brief escape to Rishikesh, the band was never the same. Bose also scathingly attacks the dogmatism of a Guru dressed in saffron robes, who apparently preached nothing that could be termed substantial. Though he never directly said it, the book portrayed the guru in a very poor light.
But if you are a Beatles fan, you ought to read this book.
October 20, 2018
There is more about Ravi Shankar and Maharishi than about The Beatles. Moreover, the author dwells mainly on George and John; that Ringo is marginalized - that is understandable, but there is barely any mention of Paul.
I wish there were photographs of their sojourn in Rishikesh.
Very readable, nonetheless.
I wish there were photographs of their sojourn in Rishikesh.
Very readable, nonetheless.
January 22, 2019
I was under the impression that the book was about The Beatles, when they were in India. Wrong. This book should have rather been titled “The Beatles AND India”. The part directly involving The Beatles’ stay in India is short of 1/3 of the book’s length.
I was expecting a little more meat in that area…
I was expecting a little more meat in that area…
October 2, 2021
By far one of the most trippiest books I have ever read. But barring that, it is detailed yet not to the point it feels like we are reading a book of facts, and the author does a brilliant job of presenting an unbiased view of The Beatles despite being a diehard fan.
This book really showed the human side of The Beatles and their songs.
In all I loved it and would definitely recommend.
This book really showed the human side of The Beatles and their songs.
In all I loved it and would definitely recommend.
November 18, 2022
A nice, enjoyable book filled with lesser known anecdotes about the world's most famous rock band.
The book includes very little new information, but for what it's worth, it is a fascinating read. The author did a lot of research, and told us a good story.
The book includes very little new information, but for what it's worth, it is a fascinating read. The author did a lot of research, and told us a good story.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews