A Canceled Flight, Kalpataru Divas, & a Lesson in Inner Peace
Join Sid and friends as a canceled flight to Delhi turns into an unexpected journey to celebrate Kalpataru Divas at the Ramakrishna Mission. Discover the significance of this spiritual festival, its connection to Sri Ramakrishna, and the peaceful moments it brings.
“Chayan,” I announced to everyone in the room, “Our flight to Delhi has been canceled due to severe weather conditions.”
Nandini exclaimed, “That’s great!”
“Delhi’s weather is unpredictable,” Chayan remarked. “You should have booked your tickets after the 5th of January.”
Annu voiced her concern, “What about my office? It’s not my Dad’s office, after all. I only got leave for seven days.”
Agastya, Timon, and Hiya were delighted to learn that we wouldn’t be returning today. We all had enjoyed a fantastic holiday with Chayan, Nandini, Timon, and Hiya in Bangalore. Our trip had included wonderful destinations like Pondicherry, Mahabalipuram, Mysore, Coorg, Bandipur, and several other places.
“So, are we going to drink and party again?” I asked.
Everyone gave me a deadly look.
“Yesterday was enough,” Nandini said. “You and Chayan slept on the carpet, and Annu and I had to carry you both to the beds.”
Annu said, “Guys, let’s chill today and take the day easy. But before that, let me book our tickets for tomorrow.”
“But we have plans,” Chayan said.
“What plan?” I asked.
“Oh, we are going to the Ramkrishna Mission in the evening to celebrate Kalpataru Divas,” Nandini said.
“Kalpataru Divas? What is this?” I asked.
“Tui Kemon Bangali re Sid? You don’t know about Kalpataru Divas? Hay Ram!!” Nandini laughed.
“No, I don’t know, please enlighten me!” I said.
“Hahaha, The one who calls himself the enlightened One wants us to enlighten him,” Nandini teased.
“Let me do the honor,” Chayan interrupted. “Kalpataru Divas is also known as Kalpataru Utsav, which is an annual religious festival observed by monks of the Ramakrishna Math as well as the worldwide Vedanta Societies.”
“Ramkrishna Math? So, this divas is associated with Ramkrishna Thakur?” I asked.
Yes Sid. On January 1, 1886, Sri RamakrishnaThakur, you know was recovering from a throat cancer, came downstairs at his home in Kashipur. About 30 people who followed him were waiting for him. When he appeared, everyone became very quiet and showed him great respect.
Sri Ramakrishna then turned to one of his followers named Girish Ghosh and asked him, “Why do you praise me so much?”
Girish was so moved that he knelt down and said, “Thakur, I can’t find the words to describe how amazing you are. Even the greatest writers in history couldn’t fully express your greatness.”
Sri Ramakrishna was deeply touched by this. He seemed to enter a special state of deep peace and happiness. Girish, seeing this, cried out joyfully, “Glory to Sri Ramakrishna!” and touched his feet many times.
Sri Ramakrishna then smiled at everyone and said, “I hope you all find inner peace.” As he spoke, he entered a deep state of meditation.
Swami Saradananda, who witnessed this event, described what happened next. He said that everyone became very joyful. They praised Thakur, offered him flowers, and tried to touch him. Even though Sri Ramakrishna was meditating, it seemed like he was blessing everyone.
Each person who was there that day experienced something special. Some felt very happy and peaceful, some felt a special energy within them, and some saw beautiful visions. But everyone felt a deep sense of joy and connection.
People believed that on that day, Sri Ramakrishna showed himself to be like a “Kalpataru,” which is a magical tree that grants wishes. So, January 1st became known as “Kalpataru Day,” a day to remember this special event and seek inner peace.
“So Sid,” Chayan continued, “I don’t claim to know the full truth behind this story, but I’ve made it a tradition to visit the Ramkrishna Mission every New Year’s Day to seek inner peace. I really liked the idea of starting the year with a sense of tranquility, so I suggested we all go together.”
And so, that evening, I found myself sitting in the serene atmosphere of the Ramkrishna Mission at Basavanagudi, deeply absorbed in the soulful melodies of “Khandana Bhava-Bandhana,” the prayer song composed by Swami Vivekananda. While everyone else had their eyes closed, I kept mine open, allowing myself to be fully immersed in the experience. It felt as if I was transported to another realm, a place of profound peace and serenity.
Thank you Chayan for making me experience this.
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