Lucknow, Oct 26 The birth anniversary of Maharshi Valmiki was celebrated across Uttar Pradesh on Monday.
Various events, including the ceremonial lighting of lamps (‘deepdan’), recitations from the Ramayan, singing of devotional songs and various cultural programmes, were organised at Maharshi Valmiki temples across the state.
These events centred on the ideals of the Ramayan, human sensibilities, social harmony and core Indian values. From the ‘taposthali’ of Lalapur in Chitrakoot to the Shrimad Valmiki Ramayan Bhavan in Ayodhya, the literary and spiritual legacy of Maharshi Valmiki was commemorated through religious rituals, the UP government said in a statement.
The programme held at the Shrimad Valmiki Ramayan Bhavan, organised by the Department of Culture and the district administration, began at 8.00 am with a formal, ritualistic worship of Maharshi Valmiki. This was followed by a recitation of the ‘Sundarkand’.
In Lucknow, a statue of Maharshi Valmiki was installed at Valmiki Vatika, Prerna Sthal, located on the banks of the river Gomti. Mayor of Lucknow Sushma Kharkwal unveiled the statue.
Sages and students participated in rituals held amid the chanting of Vedic mantras.
In Lalapur — the site of Maharishi Valmiki’s penance in Chitrakoot — the district administration organised a grand event, which included the recitation of the Valmiki Ramayan, an evening of devotional songs and performances by local artists.
Additionally, a recitation of the Ramayan was held at Rajapur in Chitrakoot, the birthplace of Goswami Tulsidas.
At the Rajban Valmiki temple in the Cantt area of Meerut, District Magistrate Dr VK Singh and Chief Development Officer Nupur Goyal inaugurated an ‘Akhand Ramayan Paath’ (uninterrupted recitation of the Ramayan).
In Aligarh, a procession was taken out through the city, in which people expressed their reverence for Maharishi Valmiki.
UP’s Tourism and Culture Minister Jaiveer Singh said that Maharishi Valmiki’s Ramayan is not merely an epic, but an invaluable heritage of Indian literature, culture, and life values. Through events organised in 75 districts in Uttar Pradesh on the occasion of Maharishi Valmiki Jayanti, an effort has been made to bring this heritage to the masses.
Singh also said that Rs 1 lakh was provided to each district for the payment of honorariums to artists. A total of Rs 75 lakh was allocated to the District Tourism and Culture Councils for this purpose.
(PTI News)
