Banner
Workflow

Forging a connect along the Ghats

Contact Counsellor

Forging a connect along the Ghats

  • Thirty-day Kashi Tamil Sangamam programme intends to celebrate the bond between Kashi (the ancient name of Varanasi) and Tamil Nadu under the Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat.
  • Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat aims to enhance interactions between people of different States/Union Territories.
  • Under Kashi Tamil Sangamam, people travel from Varanasi to Sarnath, Ayodhya, and Prayagraj in six days.
  • The event linked the two oldest and most important centres of traditional knowledge systems in India.

Historical Links between the two cities:

  • Several ancient philosophers from Tamil Nadu such as Ramunajacharya visited Kashi to expand their spiritual learnings.
  • The Tenkasi and Sivakasi temples in Tamil Nadu drew inspiration from Varanasi’s Kashi Vishwanath temple after the Pandya king, Adhiveera Rama Pandiyan, went on a pilgrimage to Varanasi.
  • Popular practice in Tamil Brahmin weddings where the groom embarks on a Kashi Yatra before he is called back to marry the bride.
  • There are also multiple references to Kashi in Tamil texts like Kalittokai and Thiruppugazh.

Kashi Tamil Sangamam

  • It was proposed by the High-Powered Committee for the Promotion of Indian Languages (Bharatiya Bhasha Samiti) appointed by the Ministry of Education.
  • Objective: To ensure a “holistic” approach to education and integration of the “wealth of Indian knowledge systems”, as prescribed in the National Education Policy (NEP) of 2020.
  • The holistic approach includes 4 interrelated domains namely art, culture, knowledge, and language.
  • During the inauguration of the Kashi Tamil Sangamam, Prime Minister released the translation of the Thirukkural in 13 languages.
  • A chair dedicated to the Tamil poet Subramania Bharati, or Bharatiyar, would be established at Banaras Hindu University (BHU) was also announced.
  • The different batches arriving in Varanasi belong to 12 different categories: artisans, students, businessmen, literature, teacher, heritage, temples, spirituality, entrepreneurs, professionals, rural, and culture.
  • The Indian Institute of Technology Madras(IIT Madras) is providing IT support for the event and has launched a dedicated website to register participants.

Categories