Kalpataru Utsav at Dakshineswar in West Bengal

What is Kalpataru Utsav and when the religious festival is celebrated are posted in this article.

Kalpataru Utsav is an annual religious festival observed by monks of the Ramakrishna Mission on 1st January every year.

History behind the Kalpataru Utsav

In Indian myth, Kalpataru is a magical tree which fulfills the desires of a person.  On January 1 of 1886 Sri Ramakrishna revealed his original form before his disciples. At that time Sri Ramakrishna was suffering from throat cancer and was staying at the garden house in Cossipore. On January 1 of 1886 the disciples of Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa Dev were in the garden where Sri Ramakrishna was staying. It was afternoon and on that auspicious day Sri Ramakrishna Dev came out his room to meet his disciples. Sri Ramakrishna Dev asked Girish Ghosh what he thinks about Sri Ramakrishna Dev. Girish Ghosh was a follower of Sri Ramakrishna Dev and his answer was "God incarnate, come to Earth out of mercy for humankind". In response of Girish Ghosh’s answer, Sri Ramakrishna answered the affirmative. After that Sri Ramakrishna passed to the trance stage and his disciples one after the other began taking his blessings. Sri Ramakrishna touched everyone and they felt a new state of consciousness. By touching his disciples, Sri Ramakrishna granted them the sight of enlightenment. Disciples and followers of Sri Ramakrishna Dev describe this incident as transformation of Sri Ramakrishna Dev into Kalpataru. Most interesting is that Sri Ramakrishna Dev died on 16 August, 1886, eight and half month after his transformation into Kalpataru. Some believes that Sri Ramakrishna Dev prepared his disciples before his death through the incidence of 1 January 1886..

Kalpataru festival is considered as an auspicious day for all devotees of Sri Ramakrishna Dev. Every year on 1st January, people from different parts of the state come to Dakshineswar.