Composed by the Sage Valmiki about two thousand years ago, the epic of Ramayana has served as the basic reference in Indian society as a model of human conduct and values.  Not much is known about the poet himself, except a later legend suggesting that he was transformed to creative writing from an early profession of robbery. The Ramayana’s popularity is most likely due to its detailed analysis of human emotions in poetic simulation of everyday life played out in the life of Sri Rama, his wife Sita, his parents, his step-mothers, his enemies and his friends.  The poet helps create the message that a righteous life gets its reward however delayed.  The epic calls for hopefulness and aspiration during phases of seemingly difficult treads in life.  The book and the story form the major cultural tradition in India as well as the countries in South East Asia like Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Indonesia.

Valmiki’s Ramayana is considered the earliest literary poetic composition in India.  It continues to maintain its living tradition through performing arts, festivals, poetic readings and social as well as religious discourse.  In later times, Sri Rama has been elevated to be a divine personality and accepted as a deity in Hindu religious practice.  Thus the book of Ramayana is also given its divine status in the Hindu home and society.  Following this tradition, the poet Valmiki is accepted as a Hindu Saint and is accorded the respect and divinity for his creativity and the genius. Through astronomical calculations, Valmiki’s birthday is observed on the full moon day of the month of Ashvina in Hindu calendar.  On the Full Moon Day on October 15, the Dwarkamai Vidyapeeth helped celebrate Valmiki Jayanti with a special tribute and presentation of musical enactments of three episodes from Valmiki’s Ramayana.  The event was held in the annex hall from 4 PM to 6 PM.  About a hundred people from various walks of life attended the event.

Though considered a living tradition, there is no historical narrative how the poetic composition managed to enter the social life of the population.  One can infer from the book that Valmiki was musically inclined and wanted his composition to be sung in public.  He taught the musical rendition of the composition to two of his students, Lava and Kusha, who popularized the story rendering it in public.  One also observes the dramatic turn of events in the composition making it an interesting lyric of play of words in creating an ambiance in generating emotion.  Affecting human emotion through the creativity of poetic composition is the hallmark of the genius of Valmiki. 

Dr. Bijoy Misra of Harvard University initiated a Valmiki Reading Program in Dwarkamai Vidyapeeth in May of 2013.  Ramayana books were procured from the Gita Press in India and the group was convened to meet twice a month on Sundays from 3 PM to 5:30 PM.  The program continues https://www.dwarkamai.com/vidyapeeth/events.  A Sanskrit tutorial class was begun in 2014 to help create better recitation quality and understanding in Sanskrit grammar.  The class notes are available at https://sanskritdiscussion.wordpress.com/.  The Sanskrit Study Group helped in hosting the first anniversary of reading of Valmiki Ramayana in May of 2014.  http://www.lokvani.com/lokvani/article.php?article_id=10172.  In May 2015, the group hosted a theatrical rendition using Valmiki’s text.  The characters of Dasaratha, Kaushalya, Bharata, Lakshmana and Rama were individually presented.  http://www.lokvani.com/lokvani/article.php?article_id=11056

It was decided that 2016 would be dedicated to a formal celebration of Valmiki Jayanti, to pay a cultural tribute to the poet theatrically and musically.  Three episodes were selected and edited to help create a musical play.  Dr. Ravi Mosurkal of Chinmaya Mission volunteered to compose the music for the selected stanzas.  Mrs. Srilakshmi Srinivasan assisted in adding voice to the composition.  A chorus team was selected with Mrs. Purnima Prabhu as the leader.  Ms. Roshini Saluja, Mr. Baldeep Gandhi and Mr. Ajay Kewale joined as team members in the chorus.  Mr. Balubhai Patel and Mr. Ramanbhai Patel from the Satsang Center joined as the band leaders for the orchestra.  Mr. Moolraj Mathur joined the orchestra on manjira.  Mr. Sanjeev Tripathi played the role of Sri Rama, Mr. Raviteja Varanasi played the role of Lakshmana, Ms. Srilakshmi Srinivasan played the role of Kaushalya, Mr. Vrittamani Ramapriya played the role of Sugriva, Mr. Janmejay Shishupal played the role of Hanuman and Ms. Bhavani Vankineni played the role of Tara.  Associates of Sugriva were played by Mr. Anil Naik, Mr. Braj Sharma, Mr. Ashish Tripathi, Mr. Abhishek Tripathi and the baby star Mr. Nihal Bhav Dasari. The costumes and the makeup were facilitated by Mrs. Anita Hukamchand.

The invocation music was led by Dr. Ravi Mosurkal and Mr. Raghuram Bhattar offered the worship at the shrine.  “Srimad Ramayana is like a Ganga arising from Valmiki Mountains accompanied with the waters of Sri Rama.  The thought and sound of it leads one to liberation!”  The orchestra and chorus played excellent to the tunes.  The play scenes were presented with Jatra style music creating a joyous atmosphere attempting to simulate a possible social assembly two thousand years ago!  Mr. Balubhai Patel and Mr. Ramanbhai Patel were excellent in their work.

The first scene depicted Kaushalya’s motherly blessings to her son as the latter left for the long sojourn to the forest.  Kaushalya first dissuaded Sri Rama not to subject himself to a difficult adventure.  Finding Sri Rama determined to follow his father’s orders, Kaushalya felt helpless.  She tried to consolidate herself with her spiritual energy and showered her benediction at Sri Rama with emotion and prayers.  “I would not be there with you physically in the forest, but gods will be.  I have worshipped them before.  I have confidence in them.  They would protect you.  Please return back healthy and fulfilled.”  Mrs. Srilakshmi Srinivasan played the role of Kaushalya with emotion and passion drawing applause from the audience. 

The second scene was about Sri Rama and Lakshmana meeting Sugriva and Hanuman in the forests of Kiskindha.  A scared Sugriva hiding from his brother Vali had taken shelter in the Rshyamuka Mountains. Ever vigilant, he noticed Sri Rama and Lakshmana wandering near the Pampa Lake.  He asked his Minister Hanuman to check them out.  Hanuman presented himself in the guise of a hermit and greeted them in chaste Sanskrit.  Sri Rama was impressed and advised Lakshmana to make an introduction.  Hanuman learned that the brothers had made the trek to meet Sugriva in search of Sita, the abducted wife of Sri Rama.  He escorted them to Sugriva’ abode where the latter was delighted to meet them.  “Please extend your hand and hold mine together if you wish to join in friendship.”  Hanuman lighted a fire.  Sri Rama and Sugriva circumambulated the fire in order to sanctify their new relationship.  Sugriva expressed his grief of his own wife being confined by his brother Vali.  Rama made the valiant cry “My arrows will be directed at all miscreants. They will be killed. Your brother will fall like a mountain!”   Sugriva stole the show with his free delivery and natural mimicry.  Sri Rama, Lakshmana and Hanuman played their roles equally well.

The third scene presented Tara’s grief at Vali’s death.  Vali was killed by Sri Rama.  The monkeys in the forest were scared. They wanted Tara to create a quick succession in order to restore order.  Tara lost her composure and wailed hard hugging the body of her husband.  “O’ great Lord, why are you not speaking to me?  Why are you lying down on the ground?  Have you accepted the ground as a better consort than me?  Please rise!  I miss you bad!”  Hanuman consoled her by sharing the wisdom that “Life is transitory like a bubble.  Please think ahead and not of the past.  Please think of your responsibility to your son.”   Tara would not listen.  “I can get a hundred sons, but not a husband! Nothing else would give me more happiness than to sleep at my husband’s feet!”  Ms. Bhavani Vankineni as Tara was excellent in her rendition.  

Pandit Krishna Bhattar, the Head priest at Srilakshmi Temple in Ashland, joined the event as the Guest of Honor and helped inaugurate the Valmiki portrait made especially for the occasion.  Coming from a Vaishnava tradition, Pandit Bhattar has been a regular reader of the text and a firm believer in the sanctity of Sri Rama.  After a short speech by him, a tribute to Valmiki was paid on behalf of the people of India through a poem written by the national poet Rabindranath Tagore.  The poem in Bengali was extracted from a drama “Valmiki Pratibha” that was written by poet Rabindranath.  The character of Valmiki was enacted by him.  The poem was read by Mr. Alok De of Cambridge.  Mr. Surendrabhai Vaidya from the Valmiki Reading Group followed with a short observation of the functioning of the group.  He recited a few stanzas in his melodious voice.

In the concluding part of the program, a prayer was offered by Mr. Moolraj Mathur, the ninety year old activist and artist in the community.  Dr. Misra thanked all for their efforts and recognized his friend Mr. Thomas Burke from Harvard University who has been instrumental in popularizing Sanskrit studies in the University.  Now in his early 80’s, Mr. Burke served the Benares Sanskrit College in the ‘60s. Dr. Misra also recognized Mr. Prabhulal Rathi, also at 80, who initiated the recitation of Ramayana in Hindi in the Boston area.  All were felicitated by Mr. Anil Naik, the principal organizer at Dwarkamai, with the gift of flowers and a Sai Shawl.  Dr. Misra was presented with a special plaque for his efforts in helping to create the Valmiki event.

Mr. Suresh Pillappa and Mr. Ajay Kewale helped with the P/A Systems.  The pictures are the courtesy of Mr. Chou Chin Chung and Mr. Rajesh Prabhu.   Mr. Kevin Voisine helped to record the program in video.  Mr. Sandeep Srivastava helped with the location logistics and printing of the program brochure.  Mr. Raviteja Varanasi helped in procuring the Valmiki image and getting it printed in time for the event.  The participants thanked them for their support.

It was an afternoon of exploration of creative music in helping to recreate a tradition which might have been in practice in old India.  All participants and the attendees were happy with the efforts and many teared in joy.  All were treated to prasada on behalf the Dwarkamai.  The group planned to reconvene for another production in 2017.   

Let Sai bless all.

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