- Sadhguru called for renaming Delhi's Tughlaq Lane due to the historical legacy of rulers
- He said the issue is about actions, not religion, citing Aurangzeb Road's renaming
- Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta promoted the city as a key destination for spiritual tourism
Spiritual leader Sadhguru on Tuesday called for renaming Delhi's Tughlaq Lane, saying the issue is not about religion but about the historical record of individuals after whom roads and landmarks are named.
Speaking at the Spiritual and Heritage Tourism Conclave 2026 at Akshardham in the national capital, Sadhguru referred to the renaming of Aurangzeb Road while making his point.
"I met a few people who said, 'We are pained to see Aurangzeb Road. We are celebrating him.' I heard those names have now been changed," he said.
Sadguru then said Tughlaq Lane should also be renamed named.
Sadhguru then said Tughlaq Lane should also be renamed.
"It's Not About Religion"
Sadhguru stressed that his argument was not based on religion.
"It's not about religion. There is Humayun Road, there is Akbar Road, that is fine," he said.
"But people who conducted genocide, people who destroyed hundreds of temples, people who were extremely cruel, why should we celebrate them?", Sadhguru questioned the naming of roads after oppressive rulers.
Sadhguru then drew a comparison with Adolf Hitler.
"This is almost like saying we will have an 'Adolf Hitler Nagar'. This is not acceptable anywhere in the world," he said.
"Simply because not who they were but what they did."
"Some culturally good names should be brought in," he added.
CM Rekha Gupta Pitches Delhi As Spiritual Tourism Hub
Speaking on the ocassion, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta pitched the national capital as a major destination for spiritual tourism.
"We want to promote spiritual and religious tourism in Delhi. Apart from the temple where we are gathered today, there are places such as the Jhandewalan Temple, Lotus Temple, and several other temples, gurdwaras and mosques that hold deep significance for people and have a large number of devotees associated with them," she said.
She said the government wants Delhi's spiritual heritage to become an important part of the city's tourism identity.
"We want to showcase this aspect of Delhi to the world and develop it as an important tourism sector. Just as people travel to Varanasi to visit Kashi Vishwanath, we want them to come to Delhi to experience its spiritual and religious heritage as well," she said.
"The Delhi government has created four tourism circuits, and we want people from across the country and the world to come and explore them."
The Chief Minister also said her conversation with Sadhguru had thrown up the idea of showcasing Delhi's political landmarks alongside its better-known historical monuments.
"I also spoke to Sadhguru ji, who pointed out that apart from Delhi's historic monuments, there are several important political landmarks that people from India and around the world would also like to visit," she said.
"Don't Make Delhi A Transit Way"
The Chief Minister also made a pitch for visitors to spend more time in the national capital rather than treating it merely as a stopover.
Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's message encouraging people to travel within India, she said: "As our PM says, 'Pura world toh ghumiye par usse pehle apna desh toh ghumiye'."
She then added her own Delhi pitch.
"Today as Delhi CM, I want to say, 'Desh ghumiye, par Delhi ko transit way mat banaiye, ise destination baniye. Kuch din toh guzariye Delhi mei'."
The conclave, organised at Akshardham, brought together discussions around Delhi's spiritual, cultural and heritage tourism potential.
A heritage walk was also organised at the Akshardham complex as part of the programme.
The Tourism Department's four circuits seek to bring religious sites and historical and cultural landmarks into curated routes, with the larger aim of encouraging visitors to explore more of the capital and spend longer in the city.
