The Story of Valmiki | Dr. Madhavi Kolhatkar

A prevalent and popular narrative exists around Sage Valmiki. It is story of transformation of a layman ("Valya Koli") attained the status of a Sage after performing hard penance. He was eventually appointed to compose the Ramayana. The story, however, is not attested in the critical edition of the Ramayana. This talk explores the the history and character of Valmiki - how the story came into existence and got elaborated.
About The Speaker:
Madhavi Kolhatkar is Pune University’s Ph.D (Sanskrit) and is a retired professor at Deccan College; knows German, Russian, Tibetan and Japanese. Over the years, Dr. Kolhatkar has published over thirty articles on a variety of themes bearing notably on Vedic ritual, religion, Japanology and Sanskrit literature and has co-authored Pavitreshti: An Indian Fire Ritual.