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Beatles' haven to house Delhi's street kids?

Last updated on: December 20, 2007 10:57 IST

Back in the late 1960s, before Bollywood tunes and curry shops entrenched themselves in the UK, India was still something of a novelty. It was then that the West's greatest band -- the Beatles -- travelled to India in search of something all their money and fame couldn't buy: peace of mind

Their spiritual journey was supposed to culiminate in an extended stay at an ashram, where they would study with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who is generally recognised as the founder of Transcendental Meditation.

There, the iconic band incorporated Indian techniques and influences, composing nearly fifty songs on those hallowed grounds, including While my Guitar Gently Weeps and Revolution.

Sadly, the government-owned ashram has fallen into disuse.

Today, it's both rundown and gutted, by combination of nature's ceaseless march and the greedy hands of desecrating robbers.

But now, for the first time in a long time, there's hope.

According the Washington Post, Maggie O'Hara, a Canadian voice actress best known for her role in X-men: Evolution, has conjured up a plan that would breathe life back into neglected campus.

Her vision: the ashram will become a home and school for over 2,000 street children from New Delhi. She also plans to open a job training and rehabilitation center for abused, marginalised women.

The campus has been unihabited for over a decade, as those who oversaw the ashram abandoned it twelve years ago.

rediff Entertainment Bureau