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Kashmir Leaders Call for Ban on 'Tantra in Silence' Retreat
Confirmed
In Short: A four-day 'Tantra in Silence' retreat scheduled for September 24-27 in Kashmir's Gurez Valley has sparked a political and religious row.
Former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti and Kashmir's chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq have called for a ban on the retreat, citing concerns over its organizers and content.
The programme, titled 'Tantra in Silence – A Journey Within,' is scheduled from September 24 to 27 in Gurez Valley and includes meditation, sound healing, and 'conscious living' sessions.
Mufti and Mirwaiz have urged Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and the Jammu and Kashmir Police to intervene, saying Gurez is 'no playground for experiments' in the name of spirituality or tourism.
Mirwaiz referred to a similar programme in Goa that was cancelled by police due to public outrage over its promotional details, calling the retreat's approval in Gurez 'outrageous.
The retreat, advertised for September 24 to 27, is being promoted as a spiritual and meditation programme, with Swami Dhyan Sumit named as its facilitator.
According to promotional material, the retreat will include meditation, sound healing, 'love and awareness,' conscious living, and inner transformation sessions.
The organisers describe the programme as a meditation retreat and a 'sacred Himalayan experience,' stating that it is inspired by the teachings of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh.
The retreat is being offered at Rs 11,995 per person, including accommodation, food, and retreat sessions.
Mirwaiz said Kashmir welcomes guests but does not surrender its values, adding that Gurez is part of the sacred cultural landscape of J&K, shaped by generations of faith, scholarship, and spiritual tradition.
What this adds
The controversy has brought attention to the earlier Goa episode cited by both leaders.
The retreat's promotional material identifies Swami Dhyan Sumit as the facilitator and advertises the programme under the themes of 'Tantra, Meditation and Conscious Living.
Background
Former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti and Kashmir's chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq have called for a ban on a controversial four-day meditation retreat titled 'Tantra in Silence – A Journey Within' scheduled to take place from September 24 to 27 in Gurez Valley.
What's confirmed
- Mehbooba called on Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and the Jammu and Kashmir Police to examine the proposed programme, while also appealing to Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mufti Nasir-ul-Islam to raise awareness about the issue.
- He referred to a similar programme in Goa, saying it “was cancelled by police in Goa, due to public outrage over its obscene promotional details.” “That this kind of program is being allowed in Gurez in Kashmir, when a similar programme by this organisation was cancelled by police in Goa, due to public outrage over its obscene promotional details, is outrageous!” Mirwaiz said.
- A poster is advertising a “Tantra Silence” retreat in Gurez Valley, Srinagar.
- A similar “Tantra” retreat facilitated by Swami Dhyan Sumit, a self-styled godman promoting a new religion under the Shree Rajneesh Foundation, was cancelled in Goa last year after its obscene… pic.twitter.com/1cdGZlF5oo Mehbooba, in a post on X, urged Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and the Jammu and Kashmir Police to intervene and take appropriate action.
- He said tourism promotion should not undermine Kashmir’s religious, cultural and social ethos.
- “Regarding the social media post circulated through the X handle ‘Tantra in Silence at Gurez’, it is clarified that this office has neither granted any permission nor issued any authorisation for conducting the said event,” the Assistant Director Tourism said in a statement.
- Mufti urged Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and the Jammu and Kashmir Police to intervene, saying Gurez was “no playground for experiments” in the name of spirituality or tourism.
- “Gurez is not merely a tourist destination but part of the sacred cultural landscape of J&K, a land shaped by generations of faith, scholarship and spiritual tradition,” he said.
What's still developing
- Mirwaiz subsequently backed the concerns raised by Mehbooba and called for immediate action by the authorities.
- “I also appeal to @MirwaizKashmir and @office_mufti to raise awareness about this issue,” she added.
- She questioned the suitability of holding the proposed retreat in Gurez and called for official intervention.
- The proposed retreat has thus become the subject of political and religious objections ahead of its scheduled September 24 start, while the promotional material presents it as a meditation and spiritual programme.
- “Gurez ‘Tantra (in) Silence’ Retreat unauthorised; no permission has been granted to the said event by District Administration Bandipora. Public/tourists are advised not to rely on or share such unauthorised promotional claims,” the district information and public relations office in Bandipora said on X.
- Earlier in the day, Kashmir’s chief preacher Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti objected to the holding of the controversial event in Gurez.
- The media in Kashmir, comprising a robust English and vernacular press has a particularly unenviable job to do.
- “Kashmir is the land of sufis and saints. Here spirituality is experienced, not marketed at a cost,” Mirwaiz said in a post on X.
- The controversy has also brought attention to the earlier Goa episode cited by both leaders.
- She also appealed to J&K’s religious leaders to raise awareness about the issue.
- Hurriyat Conference chairman and cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq called on authorities to immediately take note and stop exploitation of Kashmir’s religious, cultural and social ethos.
- Police in Goa had in November last year shut down a “Tantric retreat” after posters promoting the sessions sparked widespread anger among religious groups.