Maharishi Valmiki Jayanti

Maharishi Valmiki JayantiValmiki is revered as the first poet of Sanskrit literature. He was a great sage and author of the epic Ramayana which consists of 24,000 verses and 7 cantos (Kandas) including the Uttara canto. Valmiki is also known as Maharishi Valmiki and considered as the Adi Kavi i.e. the first poet of Sanskrit language. Maharishi Valmiki is believed to be the contemporary of Lord Sri Rama which makes it difficult to define the exact timings of his birth as birth era of Lord Sri Rama is also a topic of much debate among modern historians. However his birth anniversary which is also known as his Jayanti is celebrated on Ashwin Purnima as per Hindu lunar calendar. As per Ramayana, Shri Rama met Valmiki during his period of exile and interacted with him. Later, Valmiki gave shelter to Devi Sita in his hermitage when Rama banished her. Kusha and Lava, the twin sons of Shri Rama were born in his hermitage. Valmiki taught Ramayana to both twins. Maharishi Valmiki in his early life was a highway dacoit named Ratnakar, who used to rob people after killing them. It is believed that sage Narada Muni transformed Ratnakar into great devotee of Lord Rama. On the advice of Narada Muni, Ratnakar performed great penance by reciting great Mantra of Rama Nama. After years of meditation, a divine voice declared his penance successful and bestowed him with new name Valmiki, the one who born out of ant-hills.