Former J&K CM and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti
By Tehelka Web Desk
Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has urged Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and the J&K Police to examine a proposed four-day meditation retreat in Gurez Valley scheduled for September 24–27.
The programme, titled “Tantra in Silence – A Journey Within”, is being promoted by Rajneesh Tantra Temple and lists Swami Dhyan Sumit as its facilitator. The promotional material advertises meditation, sound healing, “conscious living” and “inner transformation”, along with food and accommodation, for ₹11,995 per person.
In a post on X, Mehbooba said: “Gurez is no playground for experiments in the name of spirituality or tourism. I request @CM_JnK and @JmuKmrpolice to intervene immediately and take appropriate action. I also appeal to @MirwaizKashmir and @office_mufti to raise awareness about this issue.”
The poster says participants will be picked up from Srinagar airport, driven to Gurez and accommodated at a riverbank camp. It also states that a white and maroon robe is compulsory and that registration is mandatory.
The proposed retreat has also drawn attention because of a similar tantra-themed programme associated with Dhyan Sumit in Goa last year, which was cancelled following controversy over its promotional material and intervention by Goa Police.
In November 2025, Goa Police directed organisers to cancel an event titled “Tales of Kamasutra & Christmas Celebration”, which had been scheduled for December 25–28. The promotional material contained references to explicit sexual themes, prompting objections from civil society groups and members of the Catholic community. Police directed the organisers to withdraw the advertisements and not proceed with the programme.
