A Flight to Maharshi Valmiki…

A Flight to Maharshi Valmiki…

कूजन्तं राम रामेति मधुरं मधुराक्षरम्।
आरुह्य कविताशाखां वन्दे वाल्मिकि-कोकिलम्॥

Kujantam Rama Rameti Madhuram Madhurakshharam.
Aruhya kavitashakham vande Valmiki-kokilam ..

I bow and prostrate to the cuckoo-like Valmiki who was always cooing the sweet and sweet-lettered sounds ‘Rama, Rama’ and thus ascended the pinnacle of poetics.

More than 2700 years ago, Maharishi Valmiki has got this salutation or acclamation. For us he is Adikavi- the first poet. The great epic or Itihaasa, Ramayana has inspired and influenced generations together and continue to do so.
It was told that author of Ramayana, led the life of a robber before he became a sage. Scholars have different opinion regarding the early life of Sage Valmiki – a group suggests that he lead a pious life from the beginning but others stick to his early life as a robber. It is said that in his early life Valmiki was known as Ratnakara. It was a meeting with Sage Narada that changed his life. Let us leave the known story here.

Now, to the joy and pleasure of writers, poets and the common folk we have an Airport and the name of that happiness is   "Maharshi Valmiki International Airport", at  Ayodhya.

The airport has been designed to portray the local, as well as the state's culture and heritage, in order to make the visitors know about the spiritual, religious and historical influence the city of Ayodhya wields on the Indian society. The designs are etched as murals, artworks and engraved scriptures adorning in the Nagara style of temple architecture, depicting the symbolism of the epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata. The architectural style has been adopted also to symbolise the Ram Mandir. The "bow and arrow" mural with portraits of Rama of near the terminal's entrance along with other artworks are one of the prime themes in the exterior. Built with red stone, the carved pillars from the entrance to the inside of the terminal provide an excellent mixture of the old temple architecture with modern infrastructure. The roof of the terminal, measuring 65,000 sq.ft., is supported by seven big columns, symbolising the seven kandas (books) of Ramayana. Like ancient temples, the terminal has a rectangular base with carved pillars and a shikhara on its top to symbolise a temple structure. The terminal uses clean energy to generate electricity and follows sustainable measures to dispose waste, conserve water, and hence, is an eco-friendly airport.* ( source : wikipedia )

Hope that once fully operational, Maharshi Valmiki Airport will
be one of the best on International standards.

Some other interesting facts:
We have world's first Airport in South Yorkshire in the name of
Robinhood , a fictional character, on the Nottingham-Yorkshire
border,  made to cater the Forces during the World War 1, in 2015.

The name of the Airport was changed to Doncaster Sheffield
Airport in 1916, but it did not survive long due to heavy losses
and closed; perhaps a curse said to be associated with Robinhood mania !

Robin Hood is a legendary heroic outlaw originally depicted in and subsequently featured in literature, theatre, and cinema. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and a swordsman.  Traditionally depicted dressed in Lincoln Green, he is said to have stolen from the Rich to  serve the Poor.

We have a different near non-fictional character in James Bond, created by Ian Fleming, the famous British Author. Strangley enough we have an Airport in Jamaica in his name too, just because Fleming settled down there after purchasing a large property near the beach naming it as James Bond Beach next to the Airport.

There is another Airport in the name of Franz Kafka (1883-1924 )
 German speaking Jewish Novelist in Prague. Like in his writings the situation there is said to be piercing and delusionary and of chaos. Prague's Kafka International was named the Most Alienating Airport 
for customer relation and satisfaction rating.

Nikos Kazantzakis was a Greek writer, journalist, poet, philosopher   (1883-1957). Widely considered a giant of modern Greek literature he was nominated in nine different years for the Nobel Prize for Literature and remains so to the most translated Greek Author worldwide.
Heraklion Airport is Crete’s main gateway to the world. Officially known as the Heraklion Nikos Kazantzakis International Airport, it it is one of the largest airports in Greece.
It is also the second-busiest airport in the country, servicing millions of tourists to Crete, especially in the summer months.

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