New Delhi, Nov 29 (PTI) The first train part of the fourth edition of Kashi Tamil Sangamam began its journey from Kanyakumari on Saturday with 45 delegates, according to officials.
The Kashi Tamil Sangamam, the annual cultural and educational exchange programme celebrating the civilisational links and timeless bonds between Tamil Nadu and Kashi, enters its fourth edition from December 2 to 15 in Varanasi.
"The first train began its journey from Kanyakumari with 45 delegates. It will be joined by 86 delegates at Tiruchirappalli and 87 delegates from Chennai, bringing the total in this first batch to 216 delegates. The group comprises 50 Tamil literary experts, 54 cultural scholars, in addition to students, teachers, artisans, classical singers, and instructors and students of spiritual texts," a senior Ministry of Education official said.
At Kanyakumari Railway Station, the delegates were seen off on Saturday morning by MLA MR Gandhi, along with members of the public.
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
Kashi Tamil Sangamam 4.0 will formally commence with an inaugural function on December 2 at NaMo Ghat, Varanasi.
The edition coincides with Karthigai Deepam, one of Tamil Nadu’s most auspicious festivals, celebrated on December 4. More than 1,500 delegates will participate in a series of knowledge-sharing sessions aimed at fostering deeper understanding of India’s diverse cultural traditions.
During the eight-day tour, participants from Tamil Nadu, representing varied walks of life, will explore Varanasi and nearby regions, including Prayagraj and Ayodhya, gaining immersive exposure to different facets of life in these cultural centres.
Delegates will also visit places of religious and historic significance such as the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, NaMo Ghat, Hanuman Ghat, Banaras Hindu University, Sarnath and Ram temple in Ayodhya.
As part of the awareness programmes under the theme "Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat", four major allied events are planned alongside KTS 4.0.
The theme of this year’s Sangamam -- 'Let Us Learn Tamil–Tamil Karkalam' --underscores the message that all Indian languages belong to one family.
The initiative aims to carry Tamil language and culture to other parts of the country, symbolising unity and expanding the reach of ancient Tamil texts by encouraging their dissemination into other Indian languages.
Sage Agasthya Vehicle Expedition from Tenkasi, Tamil Nadu, to Kashi, Uttar Pradesh, will also be launched on December 2 and will conclude in Varanasi on December 12.
The rally commemorates Adi Veera Parakrama Pandiyan, the Pandiya ruler who spread the message of cultural oneness through his historic journey from Tamil Nadu to Kashi and established a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, renaming the town as Tenkasi (Dakshin Kashi) to reflect the spirit of unity.
The rally will exhibit educational materials highlighting the historical connections between Tamil Nadu and Kashi fostered by the Chera, Chola, Pandya, Pallava, and Chalukya dynasties.
Another key initiative to be launched during KTS 4.0 is the programme "Teaching Tamil to Students in Uttar Pradesh" under the campaign 'Karpom Tamil'.
Under this initiative, students from Uttar Pradesh visiting Tamil Nadu will be introduced to the richness of the Tamil language. Ten batches of 30 college students each from Uttar Pradesh will visit designated colleges in Tamil Nadu. Faculty from the Central Institute of Classical Tamil (CICT), Chennai will provide orientation training to teaching faculty who, in turn, will teach Tamil to the participating students from Uttar Pradesh.
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.