India has long been seen as a magical foreign country where the byways and back alleys hold the secrets to life’s deeper mysteries (and where bhaang is basically legal). Because of this, many well-known people over the years have travelled here in an effort to find enlightenment, including these lovely gentlemen.
1. The Beatles
Famously, in the 1960s, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi invited Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Ringo Starr, and George Harrison to Rishikesh to learn Transcendental Meditation. They fell out with him, though, and left after a short while.
2. Steve Jobs
Every entrepreneur’s vocabulary includes the founder of Apple’s exploits in India. As most people will tell you, he travelled to India in 1974 to meet Guru Neem Karoli Baba, whom he wished to learn from and become spiritually enlightened.
3. Emilia Clarke
On her trip to India, Queen Daenerys Targaryen travelled to Rishikesh with her Game of Thrones co-star Rose Leslie in order to take part in some sort of spiritual retreat. Like other foreigners, she too travelled to Jaipur.
4. Julia Roberts
Aside from Eat, Pray, Love, Julia Roberts has a real-life connection to India. After finishing the film, she actually embraced Hinduism and began travelling with her family to India, where they would visit temples and “sing, dance, and worship.”
5. The Beach Boys
This legendary band had a strong karmic bond with India. On the advice of The Beatles, they also travelled to Rishikesh to practise Transcendental Meditation with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.
6. Russell Brand
While being from a different generation than when Transcendental Meditation was most well-known, the flamboyant actor and comedian is nonetheless a student of the practice. He even wed Katy Perry there, and he has openly admitted that meditation has improved his life.
7. Mick Jagger
The Beatles’ vacation to Rishikesh inspired every other rock star of the 1960s to follow suit. The Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger also engaged in Transcendental Meditation, and he still makes periodic trips to India.
8. Madonna
Shanti-Ashtangi, a song by the Queen of Pop, ought to tell you everything you need to know about her passion for India and yoga in particular. She has frequented the nation and is known to practise transcendental meditation.
9. Gwyneth Paltrow
The American actress studied yoga under Mysore-based teacher R. Sharath Jois, who is regarded as a guru by a number of famous people.
10. Sting
The well-known musician Sting also practises yoga, and his previous band The Police is well-known for their 1980 concert in India. He’s well known for his devotion to meditation, his love of India, and even his 1990s pilgrimage.
