NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated ‘Kashi Tamil Sangamam’ - a month-long programme being organised in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. The objective of the programme is to celebrate, reaffirm and rediscover the age-old links between Tamil Nadu and Kashi – two of the country’s most important and ancient seats of learning. More than 2500 delegates from Tamil Nadu will be visiting Kashi. During the programme, the PM also released a book ‘Tirukkural’ along with its translation into 13 languages. He also witnessed a cultural programme followed by aarti. 

Addressing the gathering, the PM expressed delight upon the gathering being held in the most ancient living city in the world. Speaking on the importance of Sangams in the country, be it the confluence of rivers, ideology, science or knowledge, the Prime Minister said that every confluence of culture and traditions is celebrated and revered in India. He remarked that in reality, it is a celebration of India’s might and characteristics, thus making the Kashi-Tamil Sangam unique.

Throwing light on the connection between Kashi and Tamil Nadu, PM Modi said that on one hand, Kashi is the cultural capital of India whereas Tamil Nadu and Tamil culture is the centre of India's antiquity and pride. Drawing an analogy to the confluence of the Ganga and Yamuna rivers, the PM said the Kashi-Tamil Sangam is equally holy which engulfs endless opportunities and strength in itself.

The PM underlined that Kashi and Tamil Nadu are timeless centres of our culture and civilisation. He informed that both Sanskrit and Tamil are one of the most ancient languages that existed. The Prime Minister exclaimed, “In Kashi, we have Baba Vishwanath, while in Tamil Nadu we have the blessings of Lord Rameshwaram. Both Kashi and Tamil Nadu are immersed in Shiva.”  Be it music, literature or art, the Prime Minister remarked that Kashi and Tamil Nadu have always been a source of art.

Throwing light on the rich culture and traditions of India, the PM said that both these places are marked as the birthplace and workplace of India’s finest acharyas. He underlined that one can experience similar energies in Kashi and Tamil Nadu. He said, “Even today the relevance of Kashi Yatra comes up during the traditional Tamil marriage procession.” He underlined that unending love for Kashi from Tamil Nadu signifies the feeling of Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat which was the way of life of our ancestors.

PM Modi underlined that the Kashi-Tamil Sangam is taking place during the Azadi Ka Amrit Kaal. He said, “In Amrit Kaal, our resolutions will be fulfilled by the unity of the whole country.” He stated that India is a nation which has lived a natural cultural unity for thousands of years. Throwing light on the tradition of remembering 12 Jyotirlingas after waking up in the morning, the Prime Minister said that we start our day by remembering the spiritual unity of the country. Shri Modi also lamented the lack of efforts to strengthen this tradition and heritage of thousands of years. He further added that Kashi-Tamil Sangamam will become a platform for this resolution today while making us realise our duties, and being a source of energy to strengthen national unity.

Referring to ‘Panch Pran’, the PM said that a country with a rich heritage should be proud of its legacy. He said despite having one of the world’s oldest living languages, i.e. Tamil, we lack in honouring it fully. “This is the responsibility of 130 crore Indians to preserve the legacy of Tamil and enrich it. If we ignore Tamil we do a great disservice to the nation and if we keep Tamil confined in restrictions we will do great harm to it. We have to remember to remove linguistic differences and establish emotional unity”, the Prime Minister said.

PM Modi said that the Sangamam is a matter of experiencing more than the words and expressed the hope that people of Kashi will leave no stone unturned in providing memorable hospitality. The Prime Minister expressed the wish that such events are organised in Tamil Nadu and other Southern states and youngsters from other parts of the county visit and absorb the culture there. The gainsof this sangamam need to be taken forward through research and this seed should become a giant tree, the PM added.