Pargat Diwas

Last updated
Valmiki Jayanti
Idol of Sage Valmiki on the occasion of Valmiki Jayanti at Bihutali, Duliajan.jpg
Idol of Sage Valmiki on the occasion of Valmiki Jayanti at Bihutali, Duliajan in 2024
Observed by Nepal and India
TypeReligious
SignificanceCommemorate famous sage Maharishi Valmiki
Date Purnima Tithi of Ashwina Month
2024 date17 October
FrequencyAnnual

Pargat Diwas, or Valmiki Jayanti, is an annual Indian festival celebrated in particular by the Balmiki religious group, to commemorate the birth of the ancient Indian poet and philosopher Valmiki, who is thought to have lived around 500 BCE. [1] The festival date is determined by the Indian lunar calendar, and falls on the full moon (Purnima) of the month of Ashwin, typically in late September or early October. [2]

Valmiki is revered in India as the author of the Indian epic poem Ramayana , and is also worshipped as the avatar of God by members of the Balmiki sect. [2] Valmiki himself appears as a major character in the Ramayana, as a monk who receives the banished queen Sita into his hermitage and acts as teacher to her twin sons, Lava and Kusha. [3] The "epic metre" in traditional Indian poetry is attributed to Valmiki, with verses consisting of memorable rhyming couplets, suggesting that the poem was intended for public recitation, a common Indian oral tradition. [2]

On Pargat Diwas, portraits of Valmiki, typically depicted as a monk wearing saffron-coloured robes and holding a quill and paper, are paraded in processions called Shobha Yatra through the main streets of the Balmiki sect's locality, accompanied by street devotional singing. [4]

Related Research Articles

<i>Ramayana</i> Ancient Sanskrit epic

The Ramayana, also known as Valmiki Ramayana, as traditionally attributed to Valmiki, is a smriti text from ancient India, one of the two important epics of Hinduism known as the Itihasas, the other being the Mahabharata. The epic narrates the life of Rama, the seventh avatar of the Hindu deity Vishnu, who is a prince of Ayodhya in the kingdom of Kosala. The epic follows his fourteen-year exile to the forest urged by his father King Dasharatha, on the request of Rama's stepmother Kaikeyi; his travels across forests in the Indian subcontinent with his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana; the kidnapping of Sita by Ravana, the king of Lanka, that resulted in war; and Rama's eventual return to Ayodhya along with Sita to be crowned king amidst jubilation and celebration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ravana</span> Primary antagonist in the Hindu epic Ramayana

Ravana is a demon-king of the island of Lanka and the chief antagonist in the Hindu epic Ramayana. In the Ramayana, Ravana is described as the eldest son of sage Vishrava and Kaikasi. He abducted Rama's wife, Sita, and took her to his kingdom of Lanka, where he held her in the Ashoka Vatika. Rama, with the support of vanara King Sugriva and his army of vanaras, launched a rescue operation for Sita against Ravana in Lanka. Ravana was subsequently slain, and Rama rescued his beloved wife Sita.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hanuman</span> Hindu god and a companion of the god Rama

Hanuman, also known as Maruti, Bajrangabali, and Anjaneya, is a deity in Hinduism, revered as a divine vanara, and a devoted companion of the deity Rama. Central to the Ramayana, Hanuman is celebrated for his unwavering devotion to Rama and is considered a chiranjivi. He is traditionally believed to be the spiritual offspring of the wind deity Vayu, who is said to have played a significant role in his birth. In Shaiva tradition, he is regarded to be an incarnation of Shiva, while in most of the Vaishnava traditions he is the son and incarnation of Vayu. His tales are recounted not only in the Ramayana but also in the Mahabharata and various Puranas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Valmiki</span> Legendary Indian poet, author of the Ramayana

Valmiki was a legendary poet who is celebrated as the traditional author of the epic Ramayana, based on the attribution in the text itself. He is revered as Ādi Kavi, the first poet, author of Ramayana, the first epic poem.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vanara</span> Characters of Hindu epic Ramayana

In Hinduism, Vanara are either monkeys, apes, or a race of forest-dwelling people.

Indian epic poetry is the epic poetry written in the Indian subcontinent, traditionally called Kavya. The Ramayana and the Mahabharata, which were originally composed in Sanskrit and later translated into many other Indian languages, and the Five Great Epics of Tamil literature and Sangam literature are some of the oldest surviving epic poems ever written.

<i>Ramavataram</i> Tamil Hindu epic based on the Ramayana

The Ramavataram, popularly referred to as Kamba Ramayanam, is a Tamil epic that was written by the Tamil poet Kambar during the 12th century. Based on Valmiki's Ramayana, the story describes the legend of King Rama of Ayodhya. However, the Ramavataram is different from the Sanskrit version in many aspects – both in spiritual concepts and in the specifics of the storyline. This historic work is considered by both Tamil scholars and the general public as one of the greatest literary works in Tamil literature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shambuka</span> Character in Hindu scripture

Shambuka is a character in some editions of the Ramayana. Some say that the character and his story are an interpolation which is not found in the original Valmiki Ramayana but in a later addition called Uttara Kanda.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sita</span> Major goddess in Hinduism and consort of Rama

Sita, also known as Siya, Janaki and Maithili, is a Hindu goddess and the female protagonist of the Hindu epic Ramayana. Sita is the consort of Rama, the avatar of god Vishnu, and is regarded as an avatar of goddess Lakshmi. She is the chief goddess of the Ramanandi Sampradaya and is the goddess of beauty and devotion. Sita's birthday is celebrated every year on the occasion of Sita Navami.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ramanandi Sampradaya</span> Branch of the Vaishnava Hinduism

The Ramanandi, also known as Ramavats, is one of the largest sects of Vaishnavas. Out of 52 sub-branches of Vaishnavism, divided into four Vaishnava sampradayas, 36 are held by the Ramanandi. The sect mainly emphasizes the worship of Rama, Sita, Hanuman, and the avatars of Vishnu. They consider Rama and Sita as the Supreme Absolute who are not different from each other. It is considered to have been founded by Ramananda, a 14th-century Vaishnava saint.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Urmila</span> Hindu goddess and wife of Lakshmana in epic Ramayana

Urmila, is a Hindu goddess and the princess of Videha in the Hindu epic Ramayana. She is considered to be an avatāra of Nagalakshmi, the serpent goddess. Urmila was married to Lakshmana and is known for her dedication towards her husband, for her sacrifice.

Chuhra, also known as Bhanghi and Balmiki, is a Dalit caste in India and Pakistan. Populated regions include the Punjab region of India and Pakistan, as well as Uttar Pradesh in India, among other parts of the Indian subcontinent such as southern India. Their traditional occupation is sweeping, a "polluting" occupation that caused them to be considered untouchables in the caste system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Balmikism</span> Vaishnava Hindu sect

Balmikism or Valmikism is a Hindu sect that reveres the sage Srishtikarta as their ancestor as a patron saint. Followers believe that Valmiki was an avatar of God, and they consider his works, the Ramayana and the Yoga Vasistha, as their holy scripture. Balmiki is often depicted as wearing red clothing and is thus known as Lal Bhekh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rama</span> Major deity in Hinduism

Rama is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the seventh and one of the most popular avatars of Vishnu. In Rama-centric Hindu traditions, he is considered the Supreme Being. Also considered as the ideal man, Rama is the male protagonist of the Hindu epic Ramayana. His birth is celebrated every year on Rama Navami, which falls on the ninth day of the bright half of the lunar cycle of Chaitra (March–April), the first month in the Hindu calendar.

<i>Valmiki-Pratibha</i>

Vālmīki-Pratibhā is an opera by Rabindranath Tagore. The Bengali libretto was written by Tagore himself based on the legend of Ratnakara the Thug who later became Sage Valmiki and composed Ramayana, a Hindu epic.

Tulsi Manas Mandir is one of the most famous temples in the holy city of Varanasi. This temple has great historical and cultural importance in Hinduism since the ancient Hindu epic Ramcharitmanas was originally written at this place by Hindu poet-saint, reformer and philosopher Goswami Tulsidas in the 16th century.

Nagachandra or Abhinava Pampa was a 12th-century poet in the Kannada language.

Maharshi Valmiki Sanskrit University is a university established in 2018 by the Government of Haryana at Mundri village of Kaithal district of India. It is 12 km east of Kaithal, 111 km from the state capital Chandigarh, 145 km from Hisar, and 164 km from the NCR New Delhi.

Mundri is a village in Kaithal tehsil of Kaithal district of Haryana in India. Mundri village is famous for Luv Kush Teerth located here.

References

  1. Debroy, Bibek (2017-10-25). The Valmiki Ramayana: Vol. 1. Penguin Random House India Private Limited. ISBN   978-93-87326-26-2.
  2. 1 2 3 Das, K. C. (2007). Global Encyclopaedia of the North Indian Dalits Ethnography (2 Vols. Set). Global Vision Publishing House. p. 238. ISBN   978-81-8220-238-2.
  3. Singh, Kumar Suresh (2003). People of India: Punjab. Anthropological Survey of India. p. 167. ISBN   978-81-7304-123-5.
  4. "सितारगंज में वाल्मीकि प्रकट दिवस पर भव्य शोभा यात्रा". Hindustan (in Hindi). Retrieved 2022-03-13.