Pune: The Osho International Meditation Resort in Pune was supposed to be a haven for spiritual seekers. But its peace has been shattered ever since a battle over land sale became more important than its promise of bliss. But the discord isn’t just about the prime Koregaon Park property.
That’s just one of the many cracks in the Osho fortress. The Osho family in Pune is a divided house today. There are ‘rebel’ swamis, court cases, even a Bollywood movie that got stuck in the wrangle.
It’s now become a fight for the soul of Osho’s legacy and who gets to ‘control’ it. The sleek meditation resort, once widely known as the Osho ashram, sits on 40 acres of landscaped grounds, with tranquil waterbodies, bamboo trees, and lush parks. A day here begins at 6 AM and ends at 11 PM, packed with meditation sessions, tai chi classes, and dance devotionals.
But beneath this serene regimen lies a deep tension. The Osho International Foundation, the Switzerland-based trust that runs the resort, has been trying to sell two plots of land within the resort, covering 9,800 sq m (2.4 acres) and valued at Rs 107 crore.
The would-be buyer is automobile industrialist Rajiv Bajaj, whose house in Koregaon Park shares a wall with the resort. The move has deeply split the Osho community, with a ‘rebel’ faction of swamis leading a spirited campaign against the sale. Backed by hundreds of Osho’s Indian followers, they argue that the facility should remain an ashram dedicated to Osho�.