Balmiki Jayanti 2019: Valmiki Jayanti, the birth anniversary of sage Valmiki.

The birth anniversary of sage Valmiki, the Sanskrit poet who wrote Hindu epic Ramayana, is celebrated as Valmiki Jayanti. The date of the Valmiki Jayanti varies every year and is determined by the Indian lunar calendar. It falls on the full moon (Purnima) of the month of Ashwin, in late September or early October. This year, Valmiki Jayanti will be celebrated on October 13. Per drikpanchang.com, Valmiki Jayanti Purnima Tithi Begins at 12:36 am on October 13, 2019 and ends at 2:38 am on October 14, 2019.

Know more about sage Valmiki and his story

Valmiki authored the Hindu epic Ramayana which has 24,000 verses and 7 cantos (Kandas) including the Uttara canto. Sage Valmiki also appears as one of the characters in the Ramayana, as a monk who received Sita, Lord Rama's wife, into his hermitage and taught her sons, Luv and Kush during their exile period.

Sage Valmiki is revered as adi kavi, the first poet and also referred as Maharishi Valmiki.

The birth date and timings of Valmiki, famous as Maharishi Valmiki, are not known but his birth anniversary, also known as Valmiki Jayanti is celebrated on Ashwin Purnima, according to Hindu lunar calendar.

During his early years, Maharishi Valmiki - a highway robber named Ratnakar. It is believed that sage Narada Muni transformed him into a great devotee of Lord Rama by giving him the Rama Nama mantra.

Sage Narada Muni asked him to repeat the words "Mara", which means to "kill". On constant repetition, the words became "Rama", Lord Vishnu's avatar.

After years of meditation, and repeating the mantra given by sage Narad Muni, huge ant hills formed around him, giving him the name Valmiki, which means the "one who is born out of ant hills".

On Valmiki Jayanti, the followers of Valmiki sect, which was formed on the sage's teachings, carry out a procession and sing devotional songs.