CM Mohan Yadav pays tribute on Tulsidas Jayanti
Synopsis
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav on August 19, 2026 paid solemn tribute to Goswami Tulsidas on his Jayanti, honouring the 16th-century saint-poet as the author of the Ramcharitmanas whose message of devotion and righteous living continues to illuminate millions.
Key Takeaways
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr.
Mohan Yadav offered tribute to Goswami Tulsidas on his birth anniversary on August 19, 2026 .
Tulsidas is revered as the author of the Ramcharitmanas , an Awadhi retelling of the Ramayana that made the story of Lord Ram accessible to common people.
Yadav described Tulsidas as the 'supreme saint' and 'great poet of devotion and dignity' ( sant shiromani, bhakti aur maryada ke mahakavi ).
The CM said the 'auspicious lamp' Tulsidas lit through Lord Ram's character will 'illuminate the public mind for eternity.' Madhya Pradesh has deep cultural ties to the Tulsidas tradition, with the Ramcharitmanas recited widely across the state's communities.
On the birth anniversary of one of India's most revered poet-saints, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav offered his respects to Goswami Tulsidas on Wednesday, August 19, 2026 — honouring the composer whose words have shaped how hundreds of millions of Indians understand devotion, duty, and the ideal of righteous living.
Paying tribute in Hindi, Dr. Yadav wrote: 'Sant Shiromani, bhakti aur maryada ke mahakavi, Ramcharitmanas ke rachayita Goswami Tulsidas ji ki jayanti par sadar naman karta hoon' — ('I bow with reverence on the birth anniversary of the supreme saint, the great poet of devotion and dignity, the author of the Ramcharitmanas, Goswami Tulsidas.')
The flame Tulsidas lit — and why it still burns
Goswami Tulsidas, the 16th-century saint-poet, composed the Ramcharitmanas — an Awadhi-language retelling of the Ramayana that became arguably the most widely recited scripture in the Hindi-speaking world. Where the original Valmiki Ramayana was in Sanskrit, Tulsidas brought the story of Lord Ram into the language of the common people, making it accessible across caste and class.
Dr. Yadav captured this precisely: through the character of Maryada Purushottam — the 'supreme upholder of dignity' — Tulsidas lit what the Chief Minister called a 'mangalkari aur shubh deep' ('auspicious and benevolent lamp') that, he said, 'will illuminate the public mind for eternity.'
A tribute from the heartland of Ram Bhakti
Madhya Pradesh, which includes the Baghelkhand and Bundelkhand regions where Tulsidas traditions run deep, carries a particularly intimate connection to the saint's legacy. The Ramcharitmanas is not merely literary heritage here — it is a living oral tradition, recited at temples, life-cycle ceremonies, and community gatherings across the state.
For a Chief Minister governing from Bhopal, the tribute is also a cultural signal: the values of maryada (righteous conduct) and bhakti (devotion) that Tulsidas codified remain central reference points in the BJP's civilisational politics and in the everyday moral vocabulary of the region.
Five centuries on, the lamp Tulsidas lit shows no sign of dimming.
Point of View
A state with strong Ram-bhakti traditions, this tribute also has an organic regional resonance that goes beyond party signalling. The timing on Jayanti ensures the message lands within an already-activated devotional moment across the Hindi belt.
NationPress
19 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Goswami Tulsidas?
Goswami Tulsidas was a 16th-century saint-poet revered across India as the author of the Ramcharitmanas, an Awadhi-language retelling of the Ramayana that brought the story of Lord Ram to ordinary people in their own language.
What is Tulsidas Jayanti?
Tulsidas Jayanti is the annual celebration of the birth anniversary of Goswami Tulsidas, observed with prayers, recitations of the Ramcharitmanas, and tributes across India, particularly in the Hindi-speaking heartland.
What is the Ramcharitmanas?
The Ramcharitmanas is the celebrated epic composed by Goswami Tulsidas in the Awadhi language, narrating the life and virtues of Lord Ram. It is one of the most widely read and recited religious texts in India.
What did MP CM Mohan Yadav say on Tulsidas Jayanti 2026?
Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav paid tribute to Tulsidas as the 'supreme saint and great poet of devotion and dignity,' saying the auspicious lamp Tulsidas lit through Lord Ram's character will illuminate the public mind for eternity.
Why is Tulsidas important in Madhya Pradesh?
Madhya Pradesh has deep cultural and devotional ties to the Tulsidas tradition. The Ramcharitmanas is widely recited at temples and community gatherings across the state, making it a living part of regional religious life.
