The Dakshineswar Temple and Belur Math, the global headquarters of Ramakrishna Math and Mission, will be closed to devotees on New Year's Day, when footfalls in shrines are very high, as COVID cases are on the rise again. The trustee of Dakshineswar temple Kushal Chowdhury said Thursday the temple authorities are forced to take the decision as lakhs of devotees gather at the shrine on January 1 and there is no mechanism to ensure ,physical distancing or that everyone wears a mask.
The temple, which is dedicated to Goddess Kali, will open again on January 2, he added. A spokesman of Belur Math, which was set up by Swami Vivekananda, said "Due to unavoidable circumstances our premises will remain closed for devotees from January 1 to 4." The Math premises will open on January 5 for visitors, he said.
Belur Math had to take the decision as lakhs of people would otherwise be present at the premises on January 1 and it may trigger the possibility of contamination, he added. The RKM centres at Cossipore Udyanbati and Mayer Bari, the house where Sarada Ma, the consort of Paramahansa Ramakrishna lived, in North Kolkata will be closed on New Year's day as well.
Kalpataru Utsav is organized at Cossipore Udyanbati on January 1 every year to commemorate the day when Pramahansa Ramakrishna revealed himself to be an 'Avatar' or God incarnate in 1886. Devotees will not be allowed on January 1 and 2 in the two premises but the puja and rituals to be held as usual, he said. This is the second year that the entry of devotees will be restricted during Kalpataru Utsav. In 2020 too it was closed due to the pandemic.
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