Police records say Sri Ramakrishna died of throat ulcer

Kolkata: Sri Ramakrishna had died of "throat ulcer" according to the register that has been kept with the Cossipore police station.

The devotees and admirers of Sri Ramakrishna had entered "throat ulcer" to be the cause of his death in register of Cossipore police station on August 16, 1886.

They entered the name Gadadhar Chattopadhyay and not Sri Ramakrishna in the death register and his profession was described as priest.

Sri Ramakrishna was staying at a garden house in Cossipore and had breathed his last on August 16, 1886 at the age of 50 years.

Deputy mayor Atin Ghosh will handover a digital replica of the death certificate to the Belur Math authorities on Saturday.

It may be mentioned that a museum on the history of Kolkata during the time of Sri Ramakrishna has come up at Belur Math following the initiative of Swami Prabhanandaji, vice-president of Ramakrishna Math and Mission.

The Math authorities are setting up an archive on Sri Ramakrishna and requested the Kolkata Municipal Corporation ( KMC) to give them a copy of the death certificate lying with it.

Ghosh said as the death register is with the government it is not possible to hand it over to RKM and a digital replica will be hand over.

It may be mentioned that as Swami Vivekananda was cremated at the Belur Math campus there is no death certificate of Swamiji.

During the British period the law was to register the death of a person at the police station under whose jurisdiction the crematorium was situated and not with the KMC.

Sri Ramakrishna was cremated at Cossipore crematorium which fell under Cossipore police station.

Though it is generally believed that Sri Ramakrishna had died of cancer, there are many doctors who believe that as biopsy was not invented in those days to detect cancer it is difficult to say whether he was suffering from cancer or not. Many of them believe that he was suffering from ulcer.

Senior civic officials said as discussion on cancer was not very common in 1886, the devotees of Sri Ramakrihna had entered the cause of his death as ulcer in the register.

Sri Ramakrishna who was staying at Dakshineshwar had complained of acute pain in the throat and was brought to Kolkata.

He stayed in a house at Shyampukur Street and then moved to a garden house in Cossipore.

It was here his young disciples started staying with him as he needed constant attention. Scholars on Sri Ramakrishna maintained that this was the beginning of the Ramakrishna Sangha.

Many renowned doctors in Kolkata including Dr Mahendralal Sarkar had examined Sri Ramakrishna. His well-built body deteriorated and he became frail as he could not eat anything.

Despite ill health he blessed his house holder disciples who had assembled at the Cossipore garden house on January 1, 1886. The day is observed as Kalpataru Divas.