On the auspicious occasion of Maharishi Valmiki Pragate Diwas, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann joined devotees at a state-level gathering in Amritsar Sahib on Monday, 26 October 2026, reaffirming Punjab's deeply plural spiritual identity before a congregation gathered to honour the ancient sage credited with composing the Ramayana.

What CM Mann told the congregation in Amritsar

Addressing the faithful, Chief Minister Mann extended greetings on the sacred occasion and described Punjab as 'ਰਿਸ਼ੀਆਂ-ਮੁਨੀਆਂ, ਗੁਰੂਆਂ-ਪੀਰਾਂ, ਯੋਧਿਆਂ ਅਤੇ ਸ਼ਹੀਦਾਂ ਦੀ ਧਰਤੀ' — 'the land of sages and seers, Gurus and Pirs, warriors and martyrs.' The framing was deliberate: a state that holds Sikh shrines, Hindu traditions, and Sufi dargahs within a single identity.

He invoked the teachings of Guru Sahibans and saints, saying they have given Punjab a message of humanity, equality, mutual brotherhood, and unity. In a room of Valmiki devotees, it was a pointed reminder that the sage's own legacy — one of social inclusion and the power of transformation — sits comfortably within Punjab's composite moral inheritance.

Maharishi Valmiki and the communities who revere him

Maharishi Valmiki, the ancient sage universally credited with authoring the Sanskrit epic the Ramayana, holds special significance for the Valmiki community — a Scheduled Caste group with a strong presence across Punjab and the broader North Indian heartland. His Pragate Diwas (appearance day) is observed each year on the full-moon night of the Hindu month of Ashwin, and in Punjab it draws large congregations that cut across caste and social lines.

The choice of Amritsar as the venue for the state-level function carries its own symbolic weight. The city is not just Punjab's spiritual capital by virtue of the Golden Temple — it is a living crossroads of devotional traditions, making it a natural stage for a government seeking to project an inclusive, multi-community identity.

A longstanding practice — and what it signals today

Punjab chief ministers have for decades attended festivals honouring saints, Gurus, and sages from every tradition the state calls its own. CM Mann and the Aam Aadmi Party government, in power since March 2022, have continued this practice — appearing at Sikh, Hindu, and other devotional commemorations throughout the year. The consistency matters: in a state where caste arithmetic and communal sensitivities shape politics as much as governance, public participation in events like Valmiki Jayanti is both a cultural gesture and a political signal to a significant constituency.

The message Mann chose to centre — equality, brotherhood, unity — echoes the Valmiki community's own aspirations for social dignity, lending the occasion a resonance that travels well beyond the ceremonial.