Political, religious leaders protest against ‘Tantra in Silence’ event in Kashmir’s Gurez valley
Political and religious leaders in Kashmir are protesting a planned 'Tantra in Silence' event by the Shree Rajneesh Foundation, citing concerns over cultural values and potential obscenity. They have called on the government to cancel the event to protect the region's spiritual ethos.
Why it matters
The protest highlights the ongoing tension between tourism-driven development and the preservation of local religious and cultural sensitivities in Kashmir.
An event to be organised by the Shree Rajneesh Temple (SRT) in Jammu and Kashmir ’s Gurez valley evoked sharp criticism on Saturday (September 19, 2026) from Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Kashmir chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Grand Mufti Nasir-ul-Islam who are demanding the event’s cancellation and police action.
A poster showed that Swami Dhyan Sumit, a monk who heads the Shree Rajneesh Foundation, is scheduled to attend the event titled “Tantra in Silence” from September 24 to 27 in Gurez valley in northern Kashmir.
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti urged Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and the J&K Police to “intervene and take appropriate action”. “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 Goa Police had to intervene,” said Ms. Mufti.
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