20/10/2021
The story goes that Maharishi Valmiki had met Lord Rama during his exile. He also rescued Sita after Lord Rama banished her from the kingdom of Ayodhya and provided her shelter. It was in his ashram that she gave birth to the twins, Lava and Kusha. During their childhood, the great sage became their instructor and taught them Ramayana which contains 24,000 verses (shlokas) and 7 cantos (kandas).
There is another popular belief that Valmiki was a highway dacoit named Ratnakar in his early years. He used to rob and kill people until the day he met Narad Muni, who transformed him into an ardent devotee of Lord Rama. After meditating for years, a divine voice declared his penance successful and bestowed him with the name Valmiki. He was later revered as Adi Kavi for being the first poet of the Sanskrit Literature. His works, especially the great epic, is recited till date by the Hindu devotees.
The exact date and time of Valmiki’s birth are unknown, but he is believed to have lived around 500 BC.
