SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Sunday said no permission has been sought or granted for a proposed four-day meditation retreat, “Tantra in Silence”, in Gurez Valley near the Line of Control in north Kashmir, after political and religious leaders opposed the event.
Assistant Director Tourism, Gulmarg, said his office had neither granted permission nor issued any authorisation for the event.
“This office has no information or official communication regarding the proposed event referred to in the said social media post. No application seeking permission for the event has been received or processed by this office,” he said.
“No permission has been granted to the event by district administration Bandipora,” stated the official handle of Information & PR Bandipora.
The issue was flagged by former J&K Chief Minister and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti.
“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 Goa Police had to intervene,” Mehbooba posted on X.
Police in Goa had in November last year shut down a “Tantric retreat” after posters promoting the sessions sparked widespread anger among religious groups. The organisers later cancelled the event following police intervention.
Mehbooba said Gurez is no playground for experiments in the name of spirituality or tourism and urged Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and the police to intervene immediately and take appropriate action. She also appealed to J&K’s religious leaders to raise awareness about the issue.
According to the event poster, the four-day “Tantra in Silence – a journey within a meditation retreat” will be held from September 24 to 27 in Gurez Valley. It describes the programme as a sacred Himalayan experience.
The poster lists the normal price for attending the event, including stay and food, at Rs 11,995 per person and states that white and maroon robes are compulsory.
According to the poster, the event would be facilitated by Swami Dhyan Sumit and is “inspired by teachings of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh”.
J&K Grand Mufti Mufti Nasir-ul-Islam said concerns regarding the organisers, content and suitability of the event for the region had been raised publicly.
“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.
He called on Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, J&K Police and the concerned administration to act immediately, verify the organisers, examine the complete programme and its promotional material, ascertain permissions granted and ensure that no activity contrary to law or the legitimate religious and cultural sensitivities of the people is permitted.
“Kashmir welcomes guests but it 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,” Grand Mufti asserted.
He urged the administration to respond transparently before the scheduled commencement of the programme and appealed to the public to remain peaceful, dignified and guided by verified facts.
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.
“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,” he said.
According to Mirwaiz, Kashmir is the land of sufis and saints and “here spirituality is experienced, not marketed at a cost! Besides, tourism promotion cannot become an excuse to undermine our religious, cultural and social ethos and ignore our values and sensibilities.”
He asked the J&K CM to take note and stop this exploitation.
