The Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission has cancelled its foundation day programme at Belur Math on Friday because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Monks of the order said this was the first time in the 123-year-old history of the Math and Mission that the foundation day event, held on May 1, had to be called off.

Hundreds of devotees gather on the Math premises on the foundation day.

“The foundation day used to be celebrated at Balaram Mandir in Bagbazar. The venue was later shifted to Belur Math (the headquarters of the Math and Mission). This May 1 will be the 124th foundation day,” said Swami Suvirananda, the general secretary of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission.

“We are not holding any programme because of the coronavirus pandemic. This is the first time in the history of the Math and Mission that the foundation day celebration is not being held.”

Belur Math, which attracts thousands of devotees every day, has been restricting visitors since March 16 to fight the spread of the novel coronavirus.

The museum has been closed, too, and the darshan of Swami Smaranananda, the president of the order, has been suspended.

Monks of the order have been distributing food to the needy at various places during the lockdown.

“The governing body and the board of trustees decided that the foundation day programme would not be held to avoid a gathering. The programme is a sombre affair at Belur Math. The president of the order chairs the programme and a senior monk reads out historical proceedings of the General Body meeting of the Ramakrishna Mission Association, held on May 1 and 5, 1897,” said a senior monk.

On May 1, 1897, Swami Vivekananda had convened a meeting of the devotees of Sri Ramakrishna at the house of Balaram Bose (a disciple of Sri Ramakrishna) in Bagbazar.

Vivekananda had started the meeting saying a conviction “has grown in my mind after all my travels in various lands that no great cause can succeed without an organisation…. Let this association be named after him, in whose name, indeed, we have embraced the monastic life….”

At the second meeting on May 5, 1897, the society was named “The Ramakrishna Mission”.

Swami Vivekananda himself became the “general president” of Ramakrishna Mission. Some other office bearers were also chosen.