Why We Observe Kalpataru Fest With Great Faith?

Dr Sushil Rudra

Ramchandra Dutta, a disciple of Sri Ramakrishna said while describing Ramakrishna’s divine form that day, ‘When we remember the form of that day, we are still amazed.  His entire body was clothed and his head was covered with ear-covering caps of green fabric, the direction was illuminated only by the divine light of his face.  No one knew that the face could be so beautiful (

Year 1886, 1St January. 3 O’clock in the afternoon.  Sri Ramakrishna came down from the second floor to take a walk.  Seeing him, the devotees gathered in the garden stood up in reverence and bowed. 

Sri Ramakrishna walked slowly down the garden path through the west door of the lower hall towards the south gate.  The devotees followed him keeping some distance. 

Coming to the two-storied house where He used to live, right between the house and the main gate, Thakur saw Girish Ghosh, Ramchandra Dutta, Atul Ghosh (Girish’s brother) etc. on the west floor.  They also saw Sri Ramakrishna with awe-filled joy and immediately prostrated from there. 

Then came forward to him.’ in the afternoon.  Sri Ramakrishna came down from the second floor to take a walk.  Seeing him, the devotees gathered in the garden stood up in reverence and bowed.  He walked slowly down the garden path through the west door of the lower hall towards the south gate. 

They also saw Sri Ramakrishna with awe-filled joy and immediately prostrated from there.  Then came forward to him.

No one has anything to say.  Everyone is looking in awe at the celestial form of Sri Ramakrishna.  The diseased body, the worn-out face—all that disappeared as if by magic.  Suddenly Thakur Ramkrishna himself addressed Girishchandra and said,

‘Girish, you talk so much (about the incarnation of Tagore), what have you seen and understood (about me)?’  He sat down next to him, then looked up and exclaimed, ‘What more can I say about Vyas-Valmiki, whom he could not do?” 

He said to all the devotees, ‘What else can I tell you?  May Chaitanya be blessed.’ Melted with love and compassion for the devotees, he became overwhelmed as soon as he uttered those words.

Kalpataru Sri Ramakrishna :1st January, 2022 / Why We Observe Kalpataru Fest With Great Faith?

However, from midnight 12 am , New Year 2023 starts its journey for the next 365 days until it reaches another New Year of 2024. At present all most all the official works and activities are maintained according to English Calendar. But this day is also famous for Kalpataru Sri Ramkrishna Diwas .

Just one more year passed. We have spent this year very cautious as a pandemic is still exists. We have learned a lot of lessons in this awkward situation. Have lost so many people in this pandemic.

By the grace of Thakur Sree Ramkrishna, we are going to welcome another new year. Ist January is remembered as Kalpataru day. This is a holy day. Today we are going to discuss in this post about Kalpataru Sree Ramkrishna day.

WHY ENGLISH CALENDAR ! Why We Observe Kalpataru Fest With Great Faith?

From monthly salary to grocery store the accounts and transactions are made following to English Calendar. So we enjoy the new year day as a holiday. British Government ruled out our country more than 2 hundred years.

We used to follow up with their culture and tradition since then . If we try our best to remove all these practices from our lives , it will not be proper as per our own Indian tradition.

Because , we have been made accommodation in our ways to living with all the diversities which we had to face in course of our journey generation after generation.

FOREIGN INVADE : KALPATARU SRI RAMAKRISHNA AND TAGORE

Foreign rulers invaded our country and established here and gradually they’re becoming our own neighborhood. We have been accustomed to their culture and practices.

Aryan came here first , then Shak , Hun ,Pathan, Mughol and lastly English ruled out country. We became united. There’s no other way than mingling with them. Humanist Poet, Rabindranath Tagore wrote in a poem ” Bharattirtha” :

“Eso he Arya , eso anarya , eso he Dravid Chin / Shak Hun Dall Pathan Mughol Aek Dehe Holo Leen.” ( Come Aryan, come non – Aryan , come Dravid Chin , Shak Hun Dall Pathan Mughol United in a one body. )

NEW YEAR FESTIVAL : Why We Observe Kalpataru Fest With Great Faith?

One poet remarks: ” East and West shall never meet.” But in this case, I mean, about New Years Festival , we are not conservative at all. We are celebrating this fest with full of joy and merriment.

But it’s not our matter of discourse . Today is a memorable day in the history of Sri Ramakrishna spiritual movement and Ramkrishna Mission .

KALPATARU DIWAS : SRI RAMAKRISHNA

Kalpataru Diwas is celebreted 1 st January by the devotees and followers of Ramkrishna Mission and Math . It’s celebrated in all centers of Math and Mission in India and in the Vedanta centers of out side of India.

What is the significance of Kalpataru Utsav or festival ? Why it’s sacred day?

KALPATARU DIWAS : Why We Observe Kalpataru Fest With Great Faith?

1st January, millions of his household devotees observed Kalpataru Day because it was on this day in 1886 that Sri Ramakrishna showered on a select few who had gathered in the Cassipore Garden House, his wish fulfilling blessings.

From that momentous day onwards the day is observed as Kalpataru Day, the day when the great Guru reappears, as it were, to bliss his disciples year after year.

OBSERVATION OF THIS DAY :

Now Kalpataru Day has become a sacred to his disciples and followers . His birthday also when devotees throng the Ramkrishna Maths the world over to pay their obeisance and seek his blessings, again and again.

It’s true that His followers believe that Sri Ramakrishna revealed himself to be an Avatar or God Incarnate on earth. His followers and disciples obey this incident as one of the “Lords special festivals ” .

The first January, 1886 Kalpataru Day, was an event of unusual consequence and meaning in the life of Ramkrishna and His followers.

HISTORY BEHIND KALPATARU: Why We Observe Kalpataru Fest With Great Faith?

Ramkrishna was suffering from throat cancer at that time, and his health was deteriorating . He and His closest followers had moved to garden house in the northern Kolkata, neighborhood of Cassipore.

1 st January was relatively good day for Him. He took a walk in the garden. There He asked one of His followers, Girish ( a great drama writer and poet of Bengali literature) , a question He had often asked before,

THE CONVERSATION BETWEEN GIRISH & SRI RAMAKRISHNA :

Sri Ramkrishna asked :

” Who do you say that I am? “.

Girish replied that he believed that Ramkrishna was ‘God Incarnate’ , come to earth out of mercy for mankind.’

Ramkrishna then replied, ” What more shall I say ? May you be awakened. Ramkrishna then entered an ” ecstatic state ” and began touching all of His followers present there.

THE COSMIC FEELING : Why We Observe Kalpataru Fest With Great Faith?

Truly, those who got touch reported experiencing a variety of new states of consciousness, including vivid visions. For one Vaikuntha, the visions persisted and interfered with daily life. So that he worried about insanity.

Another disciple, Sri Ramchandra Dutta, explained that Ramkrishna had in effect become Kalpataru, the wish fulfilling tree of Sanskrit literature and Hindu mythology. Datta named the commomoration of this mystical event ” Kalpataru Day”.

As a result, this event carried meanings and memories of cosmic import for the disciples and also prepared them for Ramkrishna’s death . It occurred only a few months later, on 16 August, 1886 .

JOYUS CELEBRATION :

KALPATARU DIWAS : A HISTORICAL EVENT

So , Our new years celebration is something different from others. We regard this first day of every new year worshipping Bhagawan Sri Ramakrishna.

Therefore, We pray to Him . This year we, along with the members of Vivekananda Vani Prochar Somity went to visit two interior village of Tribals to distribute blanket and lunches to the poor tribal folks.

WORSHIP MAN AS SHIVA : Why We Observe Kalpataru Fest With Great Faith?

Hence , in Kalpataru Sri Ramakrishna Diwas it is our duty to serve the poor as Shiva. So we did . They’re very poor . We spent some time with them. And after getting Prosad ( lunch), we returned home.

Undoubtedly, This was a very interesting events which we enjoyed today.

Therefore, I am sure, my readers have spent a pleasant day. Happy new year to you all. Stay healthy and be peaceful. Kalpataru Sri Ramkrishna will bless us with a delightful life.

JAI KALPATARU SRI RAMKRISHNA !!!

Read also:Swami Vivekananda’s Inspired Talks 2. Why Should We Follow Swami Vivekananda’s views !

# ‘The Gospel of Swami Vivekananda and Inspired Talks ‘ # Swami Vivekananda and Narada Sutra# goalachievement# What Swami Vivekananda wanted to do for his motherland? # Inspired Talks: Swami Vivekananda