1st January - Kalpataru Day

Dear Atmajyothis,

Wish you and your family Very Happy and Prosperous New Year. May Lord Bless all of us freedom from Our Accumulated Vasanas and Samskaras fulfilling our desire for Liberation, and help us do Seva to the Lord in the Cosmic form - Atmano Mokshartham Loka Hitaya Cha.

1st January is a very special day. On that day Shri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa Yugavatara - Setting in motion the Wheel of Dharma. India was in bad shape with British colonization. People had lost all their faith in Sanatana Dharma. On this day He lit the flame of Dharma eventually bringing faith and confidance in Indians. One arrow shot from Shri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa was sufficient to destroy ignorance of Indian masses and rejuvenate faith. The name of the Arrow was Swami Vivekananda. It was like Rama bana - arrow from bow of Rama - eventually leading to freedom struggle and freedom of India. Today on the Threshold of 21st Century, India again stands rejuvenated - resurgent, confidant. Prior to Colonization world was looking at India for Spirituality and wealth. During colonization, it is the wealth of India which fuelled industrial revolution in the world. At the end of 20th Century as rest of the world is rediscovering the spiritual roots, it is Mother India rejuevenated spiritually, materially who will show the way and lead the world from materialism to spirituality. All this changes Yugaparivartana was set in motion by Shri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. Here is narration of what happened in 1st January 1886
IT was afternoon of January 1, 1886 when Shri Shri Ramakrishna Paramhansadev had blessed his disciples with divination saying, Tomader Chaitanya Hoke (you all be blessed with holy enlightenment) at Kashipur Garden House in North Kolkata. The disciples blessed on the day had described this incident as the transformation of Swami Ramakrishna Paramahansa into a Kalpataru. A Kalpataru, as per the Indian mythology is a magical tree, which blesses a person with anything which he or she desires. It is believed that Ramakrishna Paramahansa cured the diseases of some people by just touching them on that auspicious day.Since then all devout Hindus are observing January 1 as the Kalpataru Day by joining mass prayer meetings organised by the Ramakrishna monks all over the world.

Now for the first time after 123 years of that auspicious day, Dilip Bandopadhyay, an ardent devotee of Ramakrishna Dev and an active Swayamsevak, alongwith the Vivekananda Sahitya Kendra in Kolkata has proposed that henceforth the day should be observed as the “Day of Chaitanya” by exchanging Happy Kalpataru New Year greetings on January 1 every year.


Kalpataru Utsav is mark the metamorphosis of Swami Ramakrishna Paramahansa into a Kalpataru or magical tree. This festival is celebrated every year to commemorate the divine transformation of the great soul of India, Swami Ramakrishna Paramahansa, who is also famous as the Guru of Swami Vivekananda. A large number of devotees move in to the Dakshineswar Kali temple to celebrate the Kalpataru Utsav every year. The Dakshineswar Kali temple is located on the eastern bank of the River Hooghly and it is devoted to the Goddess Kali as well as Lord Shiva. Swami Ramakrishna Paramahansa passed a considerable amount of his life, serving the deity Kali, in this temple.

On the 1st of January 1886, Sri Ramkrishna Paramhansa made up his mind to go for a short walk in the lawns of the garden since he was feeling well after a long illness. Since that day was not a working day, a number of disciples of Swami Ramakrishna Paramahansa started to gather in the garden. At last, when he came downstairs at three ‘o’clock, about thirty disciples have already gathered inside the hall and also in the garden under the trees, whispering with each other.

As Ramakrishna Paramahansa reached the middle of the path which leads to the main gate from the building, he found his disciples Girish, Atul, Ram and others in the west lawn, under the tree’s shade. Finding him, the disciples of the Swami also greeted him with deep respect and came to him. Before the breaking of silence by anyone else, he first asked Sri Girish Chandra that he always speaks to different people regarding the incarnation of Swami Ramakrishna Paramahansa and thus he wanted to know what he has seen in him. In reply, Sri Girish Chandra told to him with hands folded and kneeling down, that he is not in a position to pass any comment on a personality who is in the same platform to that of the sages like Valmiki and Vyas.

Overwhelmed with the innocent and simple reply of Sri Girish Chandra, Swami Ramakrishna Paramahansa addressed others present there that they will gain cognizance and after that he went into a trance. Then, one by one, all the disciples of the Thakur started to take his blessings by touching the feet of the Swami. In this phase of meditation the Thakur blessed the disciples by providing them the sight of holy enlightenment. Overawed with this, most of the disciples were speechless and continued to watch him with awe. A number of his disciples called others to take the blessings of their Swami while several other disciples chanted hymns and prayed the Thakur with flowers. Some of the disciples of Thakur like Sri Ramachandra explained this incident as the transformation of Swami Ramakrishna Paramahansa into a Kalpataru.