A poster advertising a four-day ‘Tantra in Silence’ in Kashmir’s Gurez Valley by Swami Dhyan Sumit of Rajneesh Temple is snowballing into a row, with former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti and Kashmir’s chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq calling for a ban on the event.

Raising the issue, former chief minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mufti said a similar event by the organisers was cancelled in Goa last year after public outcry.

“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. “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”.

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 Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) September 19, 2026

The poster of the event scheduled in Gurez — on the Line of Control (LoC) in Bandipore district — from September 24 to September 27 calls it a sacred Himalayan experience: ‘Tantra in Silence — a journey within a meditation retreat’. It says the event would be facilitated by Swami Dhyan Sumit “inspired by the teachings of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh”.

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Mufti also appealed to the Valley’s chief cleric and official grand mufti to “raise awareness” about the issue.

Responding to Mufti’s call, Mirwaiz called upon Chief Minister Abdullah to “take note and stop this exploitation”.

“The concern raised by @MehboobaMufti deserves immediate attention! 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. “Kashmir is the land of sufis and saints. 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. The concerned authorities @CM_JnK, @omarabdullah should immediately take note and stop this exploitation!”

Valley’s official grand mufti Nasir-ul-Islam has also urged Chief Minister Abdullah to “act immediately” to establish the facts. “The House of Grand Mufti Jammu & Kashmir has taken serious note of the proposed ‘Tantra in Silence’ retreat reportedly scheduled for 24-27 September 2026 in Gurez Valley. The programme is publicly advertised as a meditation retreat, and concerns regarding its organisers, content and suitability for the region have been raised publicly,” Islam said. “Gurez is not merely a tourist destination. It is part of the sacred cultural landscape of Kashmir, a land shaped by generations of faith, scholarship and spiritual tradition. Its hospitality must never be understood as indifference to its moral cultural character”.

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Islam called for transparency regarding the event. “The House therefore calls upon Hon’ble Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, the J&K Police and the concerned administration to act immediately and establish the facts: verify the organisers, examine the complete programme and its promotional material, ascertain the permissions granted, and ensure that no activity contrary to law or the legitimate religious and cultural sensitivities of the people is permitted,” he said.

He said further: “Kashmir welcomes guests; 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”.