The posters promised "Cosmic Org**m", "Tantra Blind Touch Dance", "Tales of Kamas***a", and even a "Mystery of Tantric Ej****tions" workshop.
For Rs 24,995 (stay and food included, pre-registration compulsory, refund not included), the Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh Foundation's Christmas retreat in Goa came with everything, from "Tantric Energy of Intimacy" to an ambitious upgrade from "S*x to Superconscious Tantra Love Making". Singles and couples were invited. Midnight sessions were listed. Even a Christmas celebration was thrown in, just to keep the season's spirit alive.
The event, scheduled for December 25 to 28 this year, looked ready to become another addition to Goa's wild holiday calendar. That was, until someone zoomed in into the poster.
The poster. Photo: X
What Happened
What began as an attempt to market a "tantra meditation retreat" quickly turned into Goa's most viral controversy of the week.
The mix of Christmas and Kamasutra in one promotional line did not land quite as spiritually as intended. Second problem was the "intention to re-make Goa a sex destination".
Screenshots of the poster spread quickly on X; each share accompanied by degrees of disbelief, disgust or dark humour.
The Backlash
Civil society groups, women's organisations, and members of the Catholic community soon stepped in with far less humour. Complaints were filed. Statements were released. Leaders issued strongly worded reactions. And suddenly, a Rs 24,995 tantra holiday became a matter of public outrage.
Arun Pandey, founder of Arz, posted on X that it was "really unfortunate that in the name of Osho, Christmas, meditation, Goa is being advertised as sex destination!" He lodged a written complaint with the Goa Crime Branch. The Catholic Association of Goa also filed a police complaint, alleging that the event not only hurt religious sentiments but promoted sexual offences.
Furthermore, Archbishop Filipe Neri Cardinal Ferrao condemned the advertisement, calling it "deeply offensive", and criticising the association of Christmas with explicit themes. His statement urged the organisers to withdraw the posters immediately and asked the public to stay away from events that disrespect spiritual values.
The Ban
Once the backlash picked up, the authorities moved quickly. Goa Police said they had taken immediate cognisance of the matter, directed the organisers to cancel the event, and asked them to remove all advertisements from social media.
Police stations across the state were told to monitor upcoming events in their jurisdiction, essentially signalling that December's celebration calendar would be watched closely.
Caught in the middle of this storm was Swami Dhyan Sumit, the event facilitator and the founder of the Osho Ludhiana Meditation Society. He insisted that the retreat was purely spiritual and had been portrayed incorrectly.
"It was a meditation retreat based on tantra," he told the Indian Express. He explained that Christmas was mentioned only because festivals are for celebration, and that the intention had not been indecent. According to him, the trouble began because the words "Kamasutra" and "Christmas" appeared too close together.
"We got a call from the authorities that sentiments of the Catholic community have been hurt, so we have decided to cancel the event and withdraw all the posters," he said, adding an apology for the "wrong message".
This is not the first time though. Goa has found itself in similar debates before. Every few years, a party, retreat or creatively worded workshop accidentally (or deliberately) crosses the line between tourism and titillation, sparking an outcry. The pattern is predictable: an eyebrow-raising poster appears, social media erupts, community groups object, and the police eventually intervene.
This year's Christmas saga follows that familiar arc, just with a more flamboyant vocabulary.
With the event now cancelled, the posters deleted and the organisers apologising, Goa returns to its usual festive season - sunsets, seafood, crowded beaches and, hopefully, fewer surprises involving cosmic org**ms.