 In the mid-1960s, the Beatles became interested in Indian culture, after using drugs in an effort to expand their consciousness and in 1966 Harrison visited India for six weeks and took sitar lessons from Ravi Shankar. Alexis "Magic Alex" Mardas, a friend of the Beatles and head of Apple Electronics, had heard a lecture by the Maharishi in Athens, Greece and Harrison's wife, Pattie Boyd, attended a lecture by the Maharishi in London and they encouraged the Beatles to hear the Maharishi speak.
