Maharshi Valmiki, 1970 - Stamp, First Day Cover,

कूजन्तं राम-रामेति मधुरं मधुराक्षरम् ।

आरुह्य कविताशाखां वन्दे वाल्मीकिकोकिलम् ॥

Rāmāyaṇa is respectfully called Śrīmad-vālmīki-rāmāyaṇam. It is one of the Itihāsas and a classic literary work. Its poetic beauty has influenced great many poets of classical Sanskrit as well as writers of vernacular language. The antiquity of its composition is impossible to make out.

Stamp depicts Vālmīki, Śrīrāma, Sītā and Lakṣmaṇa

The great Vālmīki known as the Ādikavi is its author. Valmīkam in Sanskrit means an ant-hill. Vālmīki did tapas for several years as guided by Nārada and emerged out of Valmīka after a transformation and became a Ṛṣi (Seer). He was the tenth son of Pracetas and belonged to the Bhārgava-gotra, he himself says --

प्राचेतसोऽहं दशमः पुत्रो राघवनन्दन ।
न स्मराम्यनृतं वाक्यमिमौ तु तव पुत्रकौ ॥
सन्निबद्धं हि श्लोकानां चतुर्विंशत्सहस्रकम् ।
उपाख्यानशतं चैव भार्गवेण तपस्विना ॥

prācetaso'ham daśamaḥ putro rāghavanandana

na smarāmyanṛtaṃ vākyamimau tu tava putrakau

sannibaddhaṃ hi ślokānām caturviṃśatsaharakam

upākhyānaśataṃ caiva bhārgaveṇa tapasvinā

The Rāmāyaṇa consists of 7 kāṇḍas (Books), 500 sargas (chapters) and 24,000 ślokas (verses). The subject matter is the concept of Dharma, human values or code of conduct for a right living. The word Rāmāyaṇa means "Rama's ayana" (Journey of Rāma). The story of Śrīrāma, an avatāra (incarnation) of Viṣnu is narrated in the Rāmāyaṇa. 

Many versions of the Rāmāyaṇa are in vogue but the basis is Vālmīki's Rāmāyaṇa. Countless translations and abridged versions in prose and poetry, in almost all world languages, have come out. 

Rāmāyaṇa is a living epic. It is so dear to the hearts of the Hindus and is chanted even to this day with devotion and religious fervour. It will continue as long as life exists on this earth. 

"The Rāmāyaṇa is one of the grandest world-poems and Vālmīki is one of the greatest world-poets. It must be remembered that not only time, but space also is meant by the great God of creation, when He pronounced the divine and prophetic benediction on the *first spontaneous emanation of true poetry from the Rasa-filled heart of Vālmīki, in these terms** --

यावत् स्थास्यन्ति गिरयः सरितश्च महीतले ।

तावत् रामायणकथा लोकेषु प्रचरिष्यति ॥

yāvat sthāsyanti girayaḥ saritaśca mahītale

tāvad rāmāyaṇakathā lokeṣu pracariṣyati 
                                                          -- (Vālmīki-Rāmāyaṇa, Bālakāṇḍa, 2.36b, 37a)

“So long as the mountains and the rivers remain on the surface of the earth the story of Rāmāyaṇa will continue to be propagated in the (three) worlds."

A 20P stamp, an FDC and a brochure were issued by the Indian Posts and Telegraphs to commemorate Maharṣi Vālmīki.

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*मा निषाद प्रतिष्ठां त्वमगमः शाश्वतीः समाः ।

यत्क्रौंचमिथुनादेकमवधीः काममोहितम् ॥

mā niṣāda pratiṣṭhāṁ tvamagamaḥ śāśvatīḥ samāḥ
yat krauñcamithunādekam avadhīḥ kāmamohitam
**S. Kuppuswami Śāstrī, in his Foreword to the Śrīmad-vālmīki-rāmāyaṇam, MLJ Edition, Madras, 1933, p. x.