Valmiki Jayanti is marking the birthday of Indian sage, Rishi Valmiki. Maharishi Valmiki authored the epic Ramayana and he became famous in Indian mythological history from Later Vedic era.

Celebration of Valmiki Jayanti
Valmiki Jayanti falls on the full moon day of the ashwin month according to the Hindu calendar. Valmiki is also known as the creator of Indian epic, Ramayana. He is the first poet because it was he who composed the first verse or Hindu shloka which set the foundation for Sanskrit poetry. The story of Lord Rama written by him is called Ramayana and is the first epic of Sanskrit literature. Ramayana is also the first epic poem authored by Valmiki.

Life of Valmiki
Valmiki was born as `Ratnakar`. He was the tenth child of Pracheta. Maharishi Valmiki is acknowledged by various Indian communities as the author of the Yoga Vasistha; this specific piece of work was instructed to Lord Rama when he had turned cynical towards the world at large. Valmiki belongs to a Kirata Bhil community, which was essentially a backward caste community. His name before he went on to become Adi-Kavi (prime poet) who recorded the Ramayana, was Vailya

Ramayana and Valmiki
Ramayana consists of 24,001 verses in seven cantos (kandas) and speaks about the story of Lord Rama and Sita. Valmiki Ramayana is dated variously, starting from 500 B.C. to 100 B.C.

Mythological Concept of Valmiki`s Ramayana
While Narada Muni recited the entire story of Ramayana, immersed in the story, Valmiki left to take bath in Ganga River. On his sway he came across a stream named tamsa. When he was looking for a suitable place to take bath he saw two happy birds. As he looked one bird was hit by an arrow which was shot by a hunter. The other bird"s agony melted his heart and he spontaneously uttered a curse which came in the form of a sloka and thus he turned into a poet.

First Shloka of Ramayana
The first shloka was created with blessings of Lord Brahma. He wrote the Ramayana in slokas. Another fact is that Valmiki was a contemporary of lord Rama. It was Valmiki who received the banished Sita to his hermitage and he also taught the slokas to Luva and Kusa the sons of lord Rama.

Valmiki Jayanti in Modern India
To honour the unparalleled contribution in the form epic Ramayana, Maharishi Valmiki`s birth anniversary is celebrated as Valmiki Jayanti in most of the Indian states like Chattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala, Karnataka.

Glory of Valmiki Jayanti
Valmiki Jayanti holds great significance in the north which is called pragat diwas. Valmiki Jayanti is to remember a great saint who rose above his limitations and through his teachings encouraged people to stand against social injustice and to remember a man who personifies benevolence and penance.