Piyush Goyal pays tribute to Maharshi Valmiki on his Jayanti
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
On the occasion of Valmiki Jayanti, October 2026, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal offered reverent homage to Maharshi Valmiki — the ancient sage revered across India as the Aadikavi, or the first poet — calling on citizens to imbibe his timeless values and commit to building a harmonious, virtuous society.
In his post, Goyal wrote: 'I offer a hundred salutations to Aadikavi Maharshi Valmiki on his Jayanti — the sage who, through his immortal epic the Ramayana, carried the eternal values of dignity, truth, dharma and ideal living to every person.' He added that Valmiki's divine composition has, across the ages, inspired humanity to walk the path of good conduct, dutiful living and the welfare of all people, and called on everyone to internalise those ideals and resolve to build a harmonious, cultured and ideal society.
Valmiki's Ramayana and its enduring place in Indian life
Maharshi Valmiki is traditionally credited as the author of the Sanskrit Ramayana, one of the two great epics of ancient India. The text presents Lord Ram as the embodiment of maryada — righteous conduct within one's duties — and has shaped ethical, social and spiritual imagination on the subcontinent for millennia. Valmiki Jayanti, observed on the full-moon day of the month of Ashwin according to the Hindu calendar, marks the sage's birth anniversary and is celebrated widely across India, particularly within communities that trace deep devotion to the Ramayana tradition.
BJP leaders, cultural values, and the Jayanti calendar
Senior BJP leaders routinely mark the Jayantis of figures venerated in the Hindu epic tradition — a practice that reflects the party's long-standing emphasis on traditional cultural and ethical values in public life. Goyal, who is also the Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha, joined colleagues in observing the occasion publicly, framing the tribute not merely as homage but as a call to social action: the construction of a samaras, sanskarit aur aadarsh samaj — a harmonious, cultured and ideal society.
State governments and the Ministry of Culture typically organise readings, processions and cultural programmes around Valmiki Jayanti, with observances ranging from recitations of the Ramayana to community gatherings in temples and public spaces dedicated to the sage.