VALMIKAM- Anthill.

In my childhood I was very font of hearing Ramayana and Mahabharata stories. On those days, we children used to gather in our village temple and sit before saints, who occasionally visit our temple, only to hear stories of the great epics. The life was not like of these days (TV, computer games etc. were not available),our entertainments limited to play, swimming ,climbing trees, hear stories from elders and read Amar chitra Kathas,Balarama etc. ( periodicals for children illustrated with caricatures). Often we used role play on Bhim, Hanuman etc.





On that days I heard lot on Valmiki and how he known in the name of Valmiki and his great work Ramayana.Valmiki the name derived from Valmikam mean Anthill in Sanskrit, because he took rebirth from a Valmikam so he called Valmiki.On that days I was always in doubt that how a man can be fit in a anthill of about one or one and half feet height? Now my old doubts cleared, not one man even two can adjust in anthills, like that huge anthills can be seen this area of Orissa.





Now some of you might be curious to know about Valmiki, the story is like that, there was a robber named Valya Koli who used to rob and kill pedestrians going through jungle foot paths (the story is of 400BC, so you can imagine the horror in the name of Valiya Koli)
Once he tried to rob renowned sage Narada, he not objected but simply asked some questions- for whom he doing this sin? .Answer was the same as we expect- for his wife and children. Then if they would share the sin he committed during the robbery and killing? He answered ‘yes’, then Narad said to confirm it from his family but no one was agreed to bear. The naked truth opened his eyes and requested to Narada the way to repent, he taught him meditation and Valiya Koli went on deep meditation for many years. Slowly an anthill grew around him. So he become to known as Valmiki- who born out of anthill. He wrote the Great epic Ramayana in Sanskrit. He also knew as First Poet. The Great Ramayana has a divinity in Hindu belief.




Here in these areas of Orissa, suitable climatic condition and the orthodox belief on the story of valmiki or I doubt, the famous belief of abode of snakes might be the reason for such growth and preservation of anthills.
Tale piece: There is a jargon- “ant colony optimization” which related to Computer science and operations research. I don’t know how the term derived and what mean by it?