On the occasion of Maharshi Valmiki Jayanti, Prime Minister Narendra Modi used his monthly Mann Ki Baat radio address to pay tribute to the ancient sage — invoking the timeless Ramayana and the enduring lessons it carries for every Indian.

Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat highlighted the moment on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday, 25 October 2026, noting that the Prime Minister referenced Maharshi Valmiki's 'immortal composition, the Ramayana, and his priceless teachings' during the programme.

What Mann Ki Baat said about Valmiki

According to Minister Shekhawat's post, PM Modi's remarks drew attention to the civilisational significance of the Ramayana — a text composed by Maharshi Valmiki, the sage widely regarded as the Adi Kavi, or the first poet of Sanskrit literature. The epic, running into roughly 24,000 verses, is considered one of the foundational texts of Indian culture and moral philosophy.

The shout-out came on Valmiki Jayanti, the annual celebration of the sage's birth observed on the full moon of the Hindu month of Kartik — a day marked by processions and readings of the Ramayana across the country.

Mann Ki Baat as a cultural platform since 2014

Mann Ki Baat was launched by Prime Minister Modi in October 2014 as a direct-to-citizen radio broadcast, airing monthly on All India Radio. Over the years, the programme has consistently woven references to Indian epics, sages, and civilisational heritage into its fabric — making it a recurring platform for what the government frames as cultural pride and soft-power messaging.

This pattern of referencing classical texts and historical figures reflects a deliberate approach by the Prime Minister's office: using a mass-reach radio format to keep India's ancient literary and philosophical traditions in everyday public conversation.

Ministry of Culture's amplification

Minister Shekhawat's decision to amplify the Prime Minister's remarks underscores the Ministry of Culture's broader mandate to promote India's intangible heritage. Shekhawat, the Lok Sabha MP from Jodhpur, Rajasthan, has frequently used social media to extend the reach of cultural milestones flagged by the government.

The Ramayana, in particular, has been a recurring focal point for the ministry — from the Ramayana Circuit under the tourism umbrella to international cultural diplomacy centred on the epic's spread across South and Southeast Asia.

As India's cultural calendar enters one of its most festive stretches, the government's messaging is unmistakably clear: the wisdom of Valmiki is not museum history — it is policy vocabulary.