Introduction
In a courageous account, a young woman, referred to here as Saraswati to protect her identity, has come forward with a chilling testimony about her experiences at Isha Samskriti, a school run by the Isha Foundation in Coimbatore, under the leadership of Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev. Saraswati’s story reveals troubling practices involving young girls, raising serious questions about Isha’s operations and the welfare of its students. Her testimony, shared in a private video-recorded conversation, paints a picture of manipulation, coercion, and sexual exploitation under the guise of spirituality. This article presents her account and calls for urgent investigation into these illegal and reprehensible practices.
A Disturbing Initiation Process
Saraswati, a former student of Isha Samskriti, describes a ritual she underwent as a young girl who had recently begun menstruating. According to her testimony, Sadhguru personally conducted a process targeting girls at this vulnerable stage of puberty. Saraswati recounts that Sadhguru touched her private part below the navel using his toe, along her spine, and on her breasts, presenting the act as a sacred initiation meant to transform her spiritually and lead her toward "Moksha" (liberation). “He told us that after this process, we wouldn’t be the same person - that Shiva himself had touched us,” Saraswati recalls, her voice heavy with the weight of the experience. She describes the ritual as deeply unsettling, leaving her confused and uncomfortable, especially as Sadhguru’s actions included physical contact she now believes was totally inappropriate.
Saraswati explains that the selection of girls who had just started their menstrual cycles was deliberate. “They chose us because we were young, impressionable, and vulnerable,” she says. The process, which spanned a few weeks, involved sleep and food deprivation, which Saraswati describes as a form of indoctrination designed to break down resistance and instill unquestioning loyalty to Isha. “We were told this was a special, sacred process, but it felt wrong,” she now admits.
Coercion and Threats of Retaliation
Saraswati’s decision to speak out was not made lightly. She reveals that the Isha Foundation exerted significant pressure to keep her silent. After news about such initiations conducted by Sadhguru appeared in the media in recent months, monks and volunteers from Isha visited her home, along with those of numerous other girls, to ensure their silence. “They told me to say that Sadhguru was not involved if the police asked,” Saraswati states. “I was scared for myself and my other batchmates,” Saraswati says, explaining her reluctance to speak publicly. “They made it clear that if we talked, we or our families could be hurt.”
Saraswati also faced pressure from her own family, who warned her against speaking out. Despite these fears, Saraswati chose to share her story, driven by a desire to protect others from similar experiences.
Isha Samskriti: A System of Control?
Saraswati’s testimony extends beyond the ritual to the broader structure of Isha Samskriti. She describes the school as a system designed to produce “free labor” for the Isha Foundation. Students spend 12 to 15 years in the program but receive no certifications, leaving them dependent on Isha for employment. “They told us we were being trained for the universe, not a university,” Saraswati says, echoing the foundation’s slogan. “But in reality, we were being groomed to be volunteers, slaves, for life.” After completing her education, Saraswati struggled to find work outside Isha due to the lack of formal qualifications. She eventually took a low-paying job within Isha, feeling trapped by her lack of options.
Saraswati believes this lack of certification is intentional, ensuring graduates remain tethered to the foundation. “They don’t want us to survive outside their world,” she says. “It’s a structure that keeps us dependent, like we’re part of a machine that benefits the ashram even after Sadhguru is gone.”
Exploitation Under the Guise of Spirituality
Saraswati’s account also touches on practices that she believes have Tantric roots, though she admits she lacks full understanding of their purpose. She recalls rituals involving bodily fluids, including menstrual blood, as part of the foundation’s ceremonies. “They said offering these things was powerful,” Saraswati explains, though she hesitates to elaborate, still shaken by the experience. She questions why such rituals exclusively targeted girls and not boys, suspecting they exploited the vulnerability of young, virgin girls for purposes she now finds deeply troubling.
Saraswati also recounts an incident where a photo of Sadhguru’s toe, which was also used in the initiation ritual, was framed and sold at a high price, marketed as a spiritually significant item. “It felt like they were profiting off our pain,” she says, describing the commercialization of these rituals as a disgusting act.
A Call for Accountability
Saraswati’s testimony is a powerful call for justice. She urges authorities to investigate the practices at Isha Samskriti and the Isha Foundation, particularly the treatment of young girls. “I want other girls to be safe,” she says. “No one should go through what I did, thinking it’s spiritual when it’s just control using sexual exploitation." She also calls for greater oversight of institutions like Isha Samskriti, questioning how the Indian education system allows a school to operate without providing certifications or preparing students for independent lives.
While Saraswati’s account is her personal truth, she acknowledges the need to involve law enforcement agencies and the judiciary to uncover the complete truth, as her batch included many other girls. She has video-recorded her testimony, hoping it will serve as evidence, but still fears retaliation from Sadhguru and his supporters. “They have people who can do anything if you pay them,” she says, referencing hired enforcers/goons used to silence dissenters.
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