Fourth edition of Kashi Tamil Sangamam to be held from December 2

New Delhi, Nov 22 (PTI) The fourth edition of the cultural and educational exchange programme Kashi Tamil Sangamam will be held from December 2, the Ministry of Education announced on Saturday.

This year's major highlights include the Valedictory Function at Rameswaram, marking the grand culmination of the event, and the launch of a new initiative -- Tamil Karpom -- enabling students from North India to learn Tamil in Tamil Nadu.

"Kashi Tamil Sangamam 4.0 will be organised around the theme 'Learn Tamil – Tamil Karkalam', with the aim to promote Tamil learning across India and foster wider appreciation for India's classical linguistic and literary heritage.

"In this edition of Kashi Tamil Sangamam, more than 1,400 delegates from Tamil Nadu will participate under seven categories," a senior Education Ministry official said.

Delegates will undertake an eight-day experiential tour, including visits to Varanasi, Prayagraj and Ayodhya, along with interactions, seminars, cultural performances and exposure to local cuisine, handicrafts and heritage, the official added.

As in previous editions, the IIT-Madras and the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) will serve as the nodal institutions for implementing Kashi Tamil Sangamam 4.0, in collaboration with the Uttar Pradesh government and several Central ministries.

The first month-long Kashi Tamil Sangamam was held in 2022 to revive the bonds between Varanasi and Tamil Nadu. The second edition was organised from December 17 to December 30 in 2023, and the third edition was held from February 15 to 24 last year.

The theme for this year's edition is 'Karpom Tamil (Let us Learn Tamil)'. This initiative seeks to spread awareness about the richness of the Tamil language across the country.

As part of the programme, Tamil language learning sessions will be organised for students and youth in Kashi. Additionally, Agasthya Expedition has been planned from Tenkasi, Tamil Nadu, to Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, emphasising the contributions made by Sage Agasthyar, by following his trail.

Further, awareness will also be created about the benefits of the Indian system of Siddha medicine. Classical texts and ancient places will also be highlighted through messages in Indian Languages on digital boards deployed in a decorated car at designated places.

"The 'Sage Agasthya Vehicle Expedition', tracing ancient cultural routes between Tamil Nadu and Kashi, is planned from Tenkasi on December 2 and will culminate in Kashi on December 10.

"The expedition signifies the efforts of the Pandiyan ruler Adi Veera Parakrama Pandiyan, who spread the message of oneness in Bharatiya culture through his journey from Tamil Nadu to Kashi and built a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, renaming the town as Tenkasi (Dakshin Kashi) to underline the spirit of unity,” the official said.

Fifty Hindi-knowing Tamil teachers will teach Tamil to school students in Kashi under the campaign 'Tamil Karkalam', the official added. PTI GJS NSD NSD