User:Cullen328/Kalpataru Day
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kalpataru Day also called Kalpataru Diwas or Kalpataru Utsav is an annual religious festival observed by monks of the Ramakrishna Math monastic order of Hinduism and lay followers of the associated Ramakrishna Mission, as well as the worldwide Vedanta Societies. These organizations follow the teachings of Ramakrishna, the 19th century Indian mystic and figure in the Hindu Renaissance.
The event commemorates the day on January 1, 1886 when his followers believe that Ramakrishna became an avatar, or God incarnate on earth. It is held each January 1. Although the observances are held in many locations, the most significant celebration takes place at the Dakshineswar Kali Temple near Kolkata (then called Calcutta), the temple where Ramakrishna spent most of his adult life. It is classified as one of the "Lord's special festivals" by followers of Ramakrishna.[1]
In India on January 1, 2010, as in other years, "Devotees from all over the country thronged the famed Kali Temple at Dakshineshwar for Kalpataru Utsav, which is celebrated on this day every year." [2] India's Eastern Railway scheduled two special trains on January 1 to carry the crowds to Kali Temple. [3]