Valmiki and the Ramayana: The First Poet

The First Poet: Valmiki and the Ramayana

• Valmiki wrote the Ramayana, an enchanting and lesser-known epic
• Valmiki is known as the Adikavi, an epithet that means "the first poet"
• Ramayana is believed to be the first ever poem written in Sanskrit
• During Treta Yuga, a sage named Prachetasa had a son called Ratnakar

Ratnakar's Transformation

• Ratnakar got lost in the forest as a child, and was found by a hunter who raised him
• Ratnakar grew up to become an accomplished hunter under his foster father's guidance
• He married, had a family, and became a notorious dacoit to provide for them
• Ratnakar attacked Sage Narada, who was unafraid and spoke of Lord Rama's praise
• Narada's fearlessness melted Ratnakar's cruel heart and prompted a change in him
• Narada questioned whether Ratnakar's family would share his sins
• His family refused to share the consequences of his sins
• This led Ratnakar to realize he alone was responsible and he sought the right path from Narada

The Sundarbans Mangrove Forest

• The Sundarbans is one of the world's largest mangrove forests, spanning 140,000 hectares
• Locationally, it lies on the delta of the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna rivers in the Bay of Bengal
• The forest is located adjacent to India's Sundarbans World Heritage site, recognized in 1987
• The site is intersected by tidal waterways, mudflats and islands that showcase ongoing ecological processes
• The area is known for species such as 260 bird species, the Bengal tiger, estuarine crocodile, and the Indian python
• The Sundarbans Reserve Forest (SRF) is in southwest Bangledesh, is the largest neighboring mangrove forest in the world
• It lies between the Baleswar River (East) and Harinbanga River (West), adjoining the Bay of Bengal
• The SRF's three wildlife sanctuaries in the south cover 139,700 hectares
• The sanctuaries are core breeding areas for endangered species
• The Sundarbans is situated in a bioclimatic zone in the coastal region of the Bay of Bengal
• The area is an ancient heritage with magnificient scenery and natural resources
• Sundarbans is internationally recognized for the high biodiversity of mangrove flora and fauna on land and water
• Sundarbans is a mosaic of islands with different shapes and sizes
• The site is home to micro to macro flora and fauna in terrestrial, aquatic and marine habitats
• The area is important for endangered species like the Royal Bengal Tiger, Ganges and Irawadi dolphins, estuarine crocodiles, and Batagur Baska
• Mangrove forests are the only habitat for Panthera tigris species
• Natural calamities, saline water intrusion and siltation pose threats to the area

"Friends" by Abbie Farwell Brown: A Child's Perspective

• The sky is compared to a kind, big smile that is bent sweetly over the poet
• The wind whispers pretty things in the poet’s ears
• It feels like the sunshine is kissing them on the face