Tulsidas ji

Goswami Tulsidas ji is one of the greatest Hindi poets of the Bhakti tradition — and an even greater devotee. He was blessed with the Darshan of Mahadev, Hanumanji, and Shri Ram and Lakshman ji.

He is considered an incarnation of the sage Valmiki, who originally composed the Ramayana in Sanskrit.

Goswami Tulsidas ji was a great devotee of both Hanumanji and Ram ji. Like his role model Maharishi Valmiki, he initially wished to retell the Ram Katha in Sanskrit. Each day he would write the sacred verses, only to find the entire text had vanished by the following morning. This mysterious occurrence continued for several days. Then one day, Bhagwan Shankar appeared before him and instructed him to write the Ram Katha in a language easily understood by common people. Heeding this divine guidance, Tulsidas ji chose to compose the Ramcharitmanas in Awadhi — a local dialect of Hindi spoken in the Awadh region of present-day Uttar Pradesh.

It is important to mention, however, that he was not always the devoted soul we know him as. In his youth, he showed great promise and sincerity, yet he was not a Bhakt. In fact, he was deeply Asakt — profoundly attached to worldly life as a householder. He married a beautiful woman named Ratnawali, and from that day forward, he became utterly absorbed in his love and longing for her.

So how did he transform from an Asakt Grihastha into a great devotee and scholar? That remarkable story is coming soon!

Tulsidas ji shaped how millions understand Ramakatha through the Ramcharitmanas, weaving deep Sanskrit learning with the simplicity of Awadhi. His life stands as a timeless model of humility and single-minded devotion to Ram ji.

In Chitrakoot, a landscape deeply associated with the journey of Lord Rama, the ICH team had the rare opportunity to witness an original manuscript of the Ramcharitmanas by Goswami Tulsidas.

This experience serves as a powerful reminder of the enduring literary, spiritual, and cultural legacy that continues to shape India’s living traditions.

Image Source: INTACH ICH Team

INTACH is conducting a documentation project on the Yamuna River commissioned by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG). Concurrently, the ICH Division is researching districts bordering the Yamuna River.

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