Sri M incurs wrath of Kodagu locals, then agrees to halt construction

Spiritual guru and Padma Bhushan recipient Sri M, who faced protests from locals and eco-activists in Kodagu, Karnataka, has promised not to cause any harm to the environment on the 80 acres of land he had purchased to develop a meditation retreat in the ecologically fragile region, where members of the Kodava community are increasingly sensitive to the commercial use of their land and fiercely protective of sites they regard as sacred.

At least two local residents whom Open spoke to, and who are active on social media and messaging platforms under the banner “Kodagu Connect”, said Sri M had withdrawn his proposed construction plans at Malma Hill in Nelaji following concerns raised by villagers and members of the Kodava community. He was quoted as saying that the decision was taken out of respect for local religious sentiments.

Malma Hill is home to the 200-plus-year-old Igguthappa Temple, considered holy by the Kodavas, who are largely engaged in agriculture or serve in the armed forces. What disturbs many of them now is the indiscriminate use of their land for commercial purposes, even though in many areas there are stipulations that it not be used for anything other than agriculture. Several five-star properties have come up in the region, including those by the Taj Group, Marriott, Mahindra, Orange County and others, well-known leadership coach and Kodagu resident Sathosh Babu told Open.

“There were agitations against Sri M’s construction activities, where locals stated that trees had been felled and a pond created. They called off the agitation, while threatening to resume it if any further commercial construction takes place on his property, following Sri M’s statement,” Babu said, adding that people often sell land when outsiders offer huge sums and that the rest of the community comes to know about it only later.

A local resident associated with the agitation told Open that the land was sold to Sri M by multiple owners, as often happens when wealthy buyers are involved. “We came to know about it only a few months ago, when part of the plantation had already been destroyed and ponds dug. When influential people buy land, nobody comes to know,” he said, noting that after the agitation began, Sri M, who they were told was currently in the US, issued a statement on June 19 saying he was withdrawing all proposed construction plans on the properties he had purchased at Malma Hill in Nelaji village, Napoklu Hobli, Madikeri Taluk.

According to locals, Sri M said in the statement that the land was purchased for non-commercial purposes and was intended to serve as a private retreat for meditation, study of the shastras, Sanskrit chanting and advanced yoga practice. He also said the proposed facilities included a goshala, meditation hall and ponds. “Sri M clarified that he had no intention of cutting trees, damaging the mountain forest or disturbing the local environment. He said the ponds planned on the property were meant to help preserve groundwater and were not intended for any commercial activity. Sri M appealed to the people of Nelaji not to worry about rumours being circulated in the locality. He reiterated that he had no intention of damaging the environment under any circumstances. He further said that after returning from the US, he would visit the Lord Igguthappa Temple and personally brief villagers to clarify the matter,” an announcement on the Kodagu Connect Facebook page said. A local media outlet also reported Sri M’s statement. According to a report in the Kodagu Express, residents of Ballamavati village in Kodagu district on Saturday (June 20, 2026) passed a series of resolutions opposing any proposed development or commercialisation activities near the sacred Malama Kundh, also known as Igguthappa Kundh, and warned that they were prepared to launch a padayatra from Malama to Madikeri if their demands were ignored. “The resolutions were adopted during a special Gram Sabha held at the Ballamavati Gram Panchayat Hall amid growing concerns over the alleged development of private land near the revered hill by spiritual leader and landowner Sri M,” the report said.

Sri M runs a school in Madanapalle, Andhra Pradesh, and the Kerala government had allotted four acres of land on a lease basis in Cheruvakkal village, Thiruvananthapuram, to Sri M’s Satsang Foundation to run a yoga and research centre.

Sri M is highly politically connected, with links across the RSS, the BJP, the Congress and the Left parties. His admirers include celebrities such as actor Rajinikanth. He was born Mumtaz Ali Khan in 1948 in Thiruvananthapuram to fourth-generation migrants from the North West Frontier Province. Muslim by birth and Hindu by initiation, Sri M left home at the age of 19 to live and wander in the Himalayas in pursuit of spiritual knowledge.

He had, with considerable success, mediated talks between the CPM and the RSS to help end the cycle of political violence in Kerala’s Kannur district in July 2016, barely two months after CPM leader Pinarayi Vijayan assumed office as chief minister. Sri M and his team had also famously completed a 7,500-km walk from Kanyakumari to Kashmir between 2015 and 2016, traversing 11 Indian states. The yatra, in his words, was intended to “spread the idea of religious oneness” while helping participants understand the hardships and challenges faced by ordinary people across the country. Sri M enjoys cordial relations with senior RSS leaders, including its chief Mohan Bhagwat, as well as with the central government and many members of India’s political and cultural establishment. He is the author of several books, including the bestselling Apprenticed to a Himalayan Master: A Yogi's Autobiography.