Video: '"Beatles" pop singing group arrive in Delhi to warm welcome'

(Wednesday, July 6, 1966, approximately 12:30 a.m. India Standard Time) — Hoping to escape the turmoil of their controversial departure from the Philippines, the members of The Beatles arrived in India early today expecting a quiet stopover before returning to London.

Instead, the world’s most famous rock group discovered that Beatlemania had reached India as well.

Landing shortly after midnight at Delhi Airport in New Delhi following a flight from Manila with a refueling stop in Bangkok, the British quartet was met by hundreds of cheering fans, along with photographers, reporters and television cameras.

Among the news organizations on hand was the Associated Press, which filmed the group’s arrival and their brief remarks to reporters before they were escorted from the airport under tight security.

The stop in India had originally been planned as a short break from touring, with guitarist George Harrison said to be particularly eager to explore Indian music and purchase traditional instruments, including a sitar.

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But any hopes of anonymity quickly disappeared.

The Beatles were driven to the The Oberoi, where crowds soon gathered outside, forcing the group to keep a low profile before later slipping out through a rear entrance for sightseeing and shopping.

The visit came less than a day after the group’s dramatic exit from Manila, where tensions flared after The Beatles missed an official reception connected to the family of President Ferdinand Marcos, triggering public anger and security concerns.

Despite the chaotic welcome, members of the band’s entourage said the group still planned to spend several days in India before continuing home to Britain.

The visit marked The Beatles’ first extended stay in India, aside from a brief refueling stop in Calcutta in 1964.