Key Points

Prime Minister Modi said the Ram temple in Ayodhya is incomplete without remembering Mother Shabari and Nishadraj. He urged devotees visiting Ram Lalla to also visit the temples of Maharishi Valmiki and Nishadraj.

In Mann ki Baat, PM Narendra Modi said, "Next month, the 7th of October is Maharishi Valmiki Jayanti... It was indeed Maharishi Valmiki who introduced us extensively to the Avatar Kathas of Lord Ram. He presented humanity with the marvellous epic of the Ramayan... The Ramayana owes its influence to the ideals and values of Lord Rama. Lord Rama embraced everyone with service, harmony, and compassion..."

"The Rama of Maharishi Valmiki's Ramayana is complete only with Mother Shabari and Nishadraj... When the Ram temple was built in Ayodhya, a temple dedicated to Nishadraj and Maharishi Valmiki was also built alongside it. I urge you, when you visit Ayodhya to see Ram Lalla, to visit the temples of Maharishi Valmiki and Nishadraj," PM Modi said.

Valmiki Jayanti is a Hindu festival observed as the birth anniversary of Maharishi Valmiki, who wrote the great Hindu epic Ramayana.

Maharishi (great sage) Valmiki is hailed as the author of the oldest version of the Ramayana, the story of Lord Ram. His contributions to literature and spirituality have made him a beloved figure. He is revered as Adi Kavi, the first poet of the Sanskrit language.

According to the Hindu calendar, Valmiki Jayanti falls on the full moon day of the month of Ashwin, which corresponds to September-October in the Gregorian calendar.

This year, Valmiki Jayanti will be celebrated on October 7 (Tuesday).

- ANI