It is our belief that this is the first Lennon/Beatle letter to be sent from Rishikesh to have appeared on the market. It is interesting to note that Lennon signs off with Jai Guru Dev the expression which is more readily associated with George Harrison than any of the other Beatles. Interestingly this phrase Jai Guru Dev is used in hindi to pay tribute to the preacher, which would suggest by his use of it, that Lennon had not at the time of writing this letter become disenchanted with the Maharishi. This letter gives a positive indication of Lennon's belief in the powers of transcendental meditation. However during the course of his visit to Rishikesh Lennon took against the Maharishi himself. Later, Lennon's changed feelings
were revealed in his song Sexy Sadie originally entitled Maharishi [a title he dropped to avoid a legal dispute] with the line You made a fool of everyone. Lennon left the Academy earlier than originally planned and when asked to give his reasons for doing so by the Maharishi, challenged the guru with his retort: ..Well, if you're so cosmic, you'll know why..


A recent translation of the fan's original letter to John Lennon is available on request.