Home · Health · Sep 19 archive
Kashmir Leaders Call for Ban on Tantra 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 event, citing concerns over its organizers and content. 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.
Mufti highlighted that 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 promotional material sparked widespread controversy. The Goa Police had to intervene.
Responding to Mufti’s call, Mirwaiz called upon Chief Minister Abdullah to “take note and stop this exploitation.” He expressed serious concerns about the retreat, stating that Kashmir welcomes guests but does not surrender its values. Tourism must serve the dignity of the land and its people, not become a pretext for introducing practices that are incompatible with their deeply held convictions.
The House of Grand Mufti Jammu & Kashmir has taken note of the proposed 'Tantra in Silence' retreat reportedly scheduled for September 24-27 in Gurez Valley. Concerns regarding its organizers, content, and suitability for the region have been raised publicly. Mirwaiz called for transparency regarding the event.
Gurez Valley is part of the sacred cultural landscape of Kashmir, a land shaped by generations of faith, scholarship, and spiritual tradition. The retreat, advertised as a meditation event, has sparked significant controversy, with leaders emphasizing the need to protect the region’s values and cultural integrity.
What this adds
Former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti and Kashmir's chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq have called for a ban on the event, citing concerns over its organizers and content. This adds to the prior reporting that the retreat has sparked a political and religious row.
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, representing the House of Grand Mufti Jammu & Kashmir, expressed serious concerns about the retreat, stating that Kashmir welcomes guests but does not surrender its values. This adds to the prior reporting on the event's controversial nature.
Background
A four-day 'Tantra in Silence' retreat scheduled for September 24-27 in Kashmir's Gurez Valley has sparked a political and religious row.
What's confirmed
- Go Ad Lite Home india jammu and kashmir 4-day 'Tantra' retreat in Kashmir’s Gurez sparks political, religious row Mufti urged Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and J&K Police to intervene, saying Gurez was “no playground for experiments” in the name of spirituality or tourism.
- “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 promotional material sparked widespread controversy, and [the] Goa Police had to intervene,” Mufti said in a post on X while seeking intervention from Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and the Jammu and Kashmir Police.
- It is part of the sacred cultural landscape of Kashmir, a land shaped by generations of faith, scholarship and spiritual tradition.
What's still developing
- Bashaarat joined The Indian Express after completing his Masters in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University in Kashmir.