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.

“This is the first time since the Utsav had begun in 1946 that the Math would remain closed to devotees and visitors... The special puja of Sri Ramakrishna and the homa would be streamed live on the Math’s website, www.rkmcudyanbati.org, and the DD Bangla TV channel,” said Swami Pareshatmaananda, a senior monk at the Math.

“We will be forced to keep the gates closed on the three days from January 1 because of the pandemic. We hope our devotees and followers will realise our concern.”

Sri Ramakrishna had lived in the north Calcutta house in the last few months of his life with his disciples. He had breathed his last there 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.

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.