Rajneeshpuram

Rajneeshpuram was a city established in Oregon, United States, by the Indian spiritual leader Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh (later known as Osho) in 1982. Rajneesh, who taught a philosophy of Eastern mysticism, individual devotion, and sexual freedom, moved his movement from India to the U.S. in 1981.12

The community was built on a large ranch near Antelope, Oregon, and grew to include thousands of followers, with its own infrastructure. However, the movement faced legal challenges due to zoning regulations and conflicts with local residents. These tensions culminated in a 1984 bioterror attack where followers contaminated restaurant salad bars with salmonella to influence a local election. Rajneesh was deported from the U.S. in 1985 after pleading guilty to immigration fraud, and Rajneeshpuram subsequently became a ghost town.12