- Thursday, March 06, 2025
By: PTI
Indian prime minister Narendra Modi on Saturday (19) drew a linkage between the country’s cultural capital ‘Kashi’ and the centre of India’s antiquity and pride, ‘Tamil Nadu’ while referring to their century-old shared bond, Sangam, as holy as of Ganga and Yamuna.
During his inaugural address in the month-long Kashi Tamil Sangamam in Varanasi, Modi remembered the traditional bond of knowledge and ancient civilisational connections between Kashi and Tamil Nadu.
In Varanasi, addressing the 'Kashi-Tamil Sangamam.' It is a wonderful confluence of India's culture and heritage. https://t.co/ZX3WRhrxm9
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 19, 2022
“On the one hand, Kashi is our cultural capital, covering the whole of India, and on the other hand, there is Tamil Nadu and Tamil culture, the centre of India’s antiquity and pride,” he said.
Rightly stressing the influence of ‘Sangams’ in our Country during the Kashi-Tamil Sangamam, the prime minister said, “Sangams have been given great glory and importance in our country. From the Sangams of rivers to thoughts-ideologies, knowledge-science and societies-cultures, we have celebrated every Sangam”.
On the sidelines of the event, Modi was set to release books on Tirukkural and Kashi-Tamil culture.
As per Uttar Pradesh government officials, the month-long Sangamam will showcase Tamil literature, education, culture and cuisine. Guests from Tamil Nadu will visit Kashi, and also Ayodhya and Prayagraj.
A total of 75 stalls have been set up in Kashi Tamil Sangamam, which will run till December 16, acting as a bridge between South India and North India through agriculture, culture, literature, music, food, handloom and handicraft, and folk art.
Modi was set to honour nine prominent religious leaders of Tamil Nadu on the occasion, including, Shrimad Manikkavachak Tambiran, Swami Shivkar Desikar, Srilashree Satya Gyan Mahadev Deshik Paramacharya Swamigal, Shiv Prakash Desik Satya Gyan Pandar Sannadi, Sri Sivagnan Balaya Swamigal, Gyanprakash Desikar, Shivalingeshwar Swami Kandaswamy, Mayakrishnan Swamy, and Muthu Sivaramaswamy.
Uttar Pradesh governor Anandiben Patel, chief minister Yogi Adityanath and central minister Dharmendra Pradhan were also present.
Reflecting the significance of ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’, the event aims to celebrate, reaffirm and rediscover the age-old links between Kashi and Tamil Nadu – two of the country’s most significant ancient origins for learning.
