World | India
Ex-Beatle pays tribute to Mahesh Yogi
Former Beatle Ringo Starr paid tribute yesterday to the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the band's one-time spiritual advisor who died this week.
- Agencies
- Published: 01:04 February 8, 2008
London: Former Beatle Ringo Starr paid tribute yesterday to the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the band's one-time spiritual advisor who died this week.
Starr, the band's drummer, visited the Maharishi's ashram in India in 1968 with his fellow Beatles and studied transcendental meditation.
"One of the wise men I met in my life was the Maharishi," said 67-year-old Starr in a statement. "I always was impressed by his joy and I truly believe he knows where he is going."
The Beatles fell out with the Maharishi during their visit, with Starr reportedly objecting to the vegetarian diet.
The Maharishi, whose other celebrity followers included actresses Mia Farrow and Shirley MacLaine, died on Tuesday at his home in the Netherlands.
His worldwide Transcendental Meditation movement became a major international business and his 1964 book Science of Being and Art of Living sold over a million copies.
Related Links
His funeral will be held in Allahabad on February 11, a spokesman for his foundation said yesterday.
"We are expecting a very large number of people to turn up from all over the world and are busy preparing arrangements," said spokesman Charles Cunningham.
One of his main aides, Peter Warburton, said a handful of devotees were with the guru when he breathed his last.
Warburton said Mahesh Yogi recalled his own guru Brahmananda Saraswati - the late Shankaracharya of Jyotirmath, better known as Guru Deva - on his deathbed.
News Editor's choice
-
Allies quit ruling coalition in Nepal
Political row could trigger months of street protests and violence
-
Qatar blaze 'started at nursery'
Fire killed 19 including 13 children, at Doha’s main shopping centre
-
Jagan jailed over illegal assets
Andhra Pradesh leader accused of corruption, cheating, conspiracy
