Valmiki Jayanti celebrated

Khammam: The writings of the great sage Valmiki are highly relevant even today and are useful for everyone in their routine life, said Zilla Parishad Chairperson Gadepalli Kavitha here on Thursday.

The ZP Chairperson along with Khammam legislator Puvvada Ajay Kumar paid floral tributes by garlanding the portrait of Maharishi Valmiki on occasion of his birth anniversary here at ZP Hall in Khammam on Thursday.

Speaking on the occasion, Kavitha said Valmiki in his earlier days as Rathnakarudu led a miserable life by robbing people and nourishing his family members. Later, when Naradamuni preached him and named his as Valmiki, he transformed himself into great sage Maharishi Valmiki, she added.

Valmiki wrote the epic Ramayana in Sanskrit in about 2,400 stanzas. Everyone is coming to know the great history of Maharishi Valmiki with the celebration of his birth anniversary by the State government, she pointed out.

The descendants of Valmiki, people belonging to Boya castes, must concentrate on studies and achieve big by taking Valmiki as inspiration, she added.

The representatives of the Valmiki and Boya castes informed that instead of recognising them as Scheduled Tribes, the government was considering them as Backward Classes. Kavitha assured them that she would take the issue to the notice of the government along with establishing a statue of Valmiki at the Lakaram Lake tank bund.

The Zilla Parishad Executive Officer Marapaka Nagesh, Chief Planning Officer Z Ramdas, District BC Corporation Welfare officer Hrushikesh Reddy, Divisional Engineer of Electricity Department Ravi Babu, Assistant BC Welfare Officer Venkateshwarlu and BC Sangham leaders Pindiprolu Ram Babu and Valmiki Sangham leaders were present along with others.