Episode 6

Rishikesh. The Beatles, the Maharishi & Me

Shri Krishna gives the knowledge of the Bhagavad Gita to Arjun. Triveni Ghat, Rishikesh.

Rishikesh: Where the Beatles visited the Maharishi .

I'm wedged into the third-row seat of an SUV between two young girls, Israeli soldiers, and three other young Israeli soldiers, my partner and a Sikh driver with his turban. We're in the Pajar Ganj in New Delhi at a traffic light on the way to Rishikesh when there's a knock at the window.

I see a hand with long fingernails painted red and lots of bangles up the forearm. It's a he /she, a Hijra, India's third gender. The Sikh driver rolls the window down, drops some coins into her palm and we’re on our way to Rishikesh.  

Want to hear more about the trip from New Delhi to Rishikesh, our stay in a hotel room that doubled for a James Bond movie set and the bravado we needed to board a train without tickets? Listen to my podcast, Bollywood and Books - Episode 6.

You can listen to the podcast on your favorite podcast players or by pressing the play button below. You can also find the video version of the podcast on my YouTube channel.