The Beatles were hugely prolific during their time at the retreat.

When the Beatles visited Rishikesh, India in 1968 neither they nor the town were ever the same again.

John, Paul, George and Ringo reportedly wrote 48 songs during their time at a meditation retreat near the town with guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, with some material ending up on their landmark White Album.

Fans have continued to flock to the Chaurasi Kutia ashram even after neglect forced its closure.

The ashram reopened in 2015, although the buildings and property were still in disrepair.

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However, the state of Uttarakhand's tourism department is now ramping up efforts to restore the retreat in time for two significant anniversaries, Lonely Planet reports.

2018 will mark both the 50th anniversary of the band's visit and 100 years since Maharashi, the inventor of the transcendental meditation movement, was born.

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Plans are afoot to renovate the meditation buildings and lodgings and attain permission to build a Beatles museum on land belonging to the forest department.

Firstly, however, the surrounding wall needs to be fixed to keep wild animals from the nearby tiger reserve out.

The Beatles' visit put Rishikesh on the map for many westerners and it is still a magnet for many spiritual seekers.

Styling itself as the "Yoga Capital of the World", the town is now home to numerous ashrams and yoga and meditation classes.

Also known as the "Gateway to the Ganges", Rishikesh, situated on the banks of the Ganges river in the Himalayan foothills, is also a popular spot for hiking and white-water rafting.

The town has long been a site of pilgrimage for Hindus because of its association with Lord Rama.