The Ramakrishna Math at Cossipore (Udyanbati) will remain closed to devotees from January 1 to 3 for Kalpataru Utsav because of the Covid pandemic, monks at the Math said.
Every year on January 1, lakhs of devotees queue up outside the Math from early morning to offer their pranam to Sri Ramakrishna in the room where he had breathed his last.
“In compliance with the coronavirus epidemic prevention rules, devotees, visitors and well-wishers are requested not to physically attend the programmes of the Kalpataru Utsav in 2022,” said Swami Divyananda, adhyaksha of the Math.
This will be the second year in a row when the Kalpataru Utsav will remain out of bounds for visitors and devotees because of the pandemic.
Sri Ramakrishna had lived in this north Calcutta house in the last few months of his life with his disciples. He breathed his last here in 1886.
Monks of the order believe that on Kalpataru Day — January 1, 1886 — Sri Ramakrishna had revealed himself to be an avatar (God incarnate). One of his disciples, Ramachandra Dutta, had said that on this day Sri Ramakrishna had become Kalpataru, the mythical wish-fulfilling tree.
Dutta named the commemoration of this mystical event “Kalpataru Day” as a result. This event carried meanings and memories of cosmic import for disciples and also prepared them for Sri Ramakrishna’s death, which occurred only a few months later in August. It was on this day that Sri Ramakrishna had said “I bless you all. Be illumined”.
“We will keep the gates closed for the three days begining January 1 because of the pandemic. We hope our devotees and followers will realise our concerns,” said a senior monk of the order.
Monks of the Math said only special puja of Sri Ramakrishna and homa will be performed inside the Math campus, which will be telecast live on Cossipore Udyanbati's website and YouTube channel. The website is www.rkmcudyanbati.org.
There will be no cultural programme.
Like every year, the mangalarati on January 1 will be held at 4.30am followed by a special puja at 7am.
The homa will be performed at 10am and devotio-nal songs will be sung at the Math between 9am and noon.