The Kashi Tamil Sangamam has become a vibrant platform for cultural exchange, bringing together traditions, languages, and communities in celebration of India’s unity in diversity, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday on the occasion of Pongal.
In a personal blog, Modi said during his recent visit to Somnath to attend the Somnath Swabhiman Parv, people he met had praised initiatives like the Kashi Tamil Sangam and Saurashtra Tamil Sangam.
"Over the last few years, our government has had several opportunities to further popularise Tamil culture across India and to deepen the spirit of ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat'," he said, adding that a prime example of such initiatives is the Kashi-Tamil Sangamam.
Modi said the Kashi-Tamil Sangamam stands out as a truly distinctive initiative, one that celebrates the living unity of India’s many traditions while honouring their unique identities.
Modi emphasised Kashi's deep connection with Tamil people and culture, and said: "It is in Kashi that Baba Vishwanath resides, while Tamil Nadu has Rameswaram. Tenkasi in Tamil Nadu is known as Kashi of the south or Dakshin Kashi."
Modi noted that Saint Kumaraguruparar Swamigal forged a lasting link between Kashi and Tamil Nadu through his spirituality, scholarship and institution-building, while Mahakavi Subramania Bharati, one of Tamil Nadu's greatest sons, found in Kashi a space of intellectual growth and spiritual awakening.
"It was here that his nationalism deepened, his poetry sharpened and his vision of a free, united India took clearer shape. There are several such instances that highlight this close bond," he said.
The first edition of Kashi-Tamil Sangamam took place in 2022 in Varanasi (Kashi). Modi said the subsequent editions expanded the scale and depth of this effort and the aim was to keep introducing fresh themes, innovative formats and deeper engagement, thus ensuring that the Sangamam continued to evolve while remaining rooted in its core spirit.