Kashi Tamil Sangamam to return in December with expanded cultural exchange

The Ministry of Education has announced that the fourth edition of Kashi Tamil Sangamam will begin on Dec 2.

The event aims to further strengthen cultural and civilizational ties between Tamil Nadu and Kashi. It forms part of the prime minister’s Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat initiative.

The program is being coordinated by IIT Madras and Banaras Hindu University. Several central ministries, including Culture, Tourism, Textiles, MSME, Food Processing, and Skill Development, are supporting the event.

The Uttar Pradesh government and IRCTC are also involved in organizing the festival. Since its launch in 2022, the festival has grown into a major platform reconnecting historical knowledge traditions between the two regions.

The 2025 theme is "Learn Tamil - Tamil Karkalam." The theme focuses on promoting Tamil as a classical language across India. It also aims to deepen appreciation of the language’s literary and cultural heritage.

More than 1,400 delegates from Tamil Nadu will take part in the event. Participants include students, teachers, media professionals, agriculture representatives, artisans, professionals, women, and spiritual practitioners.

Delegates will go on an eight-day tour covering Varanasi, Prayagraj, and Ayodhya. The tour will include seminars, cultural programs, traditional cuisine, and academic sessions at BHU.

A symbolic Sage Agasthya vehicle expedition will travel from Tenkasi to Kashi from Dec 2 to 10. The expedition will retrace historic cultural routes linked to the Chera, Chola, Pandya, Pallava, Chalukya, and Vijayanagara eras.

As part of the Tamil Karkalam initiative, 50 Tamil teachers will begin teaching Tamil in schools in Varanasi. 300 students from Kashi will travel to Tamil Nadu for a 15-day exposure program.

The program is supported by CICT Chennai and its partner institutions. It aims to strengthen language learning, cultural understanding, and exchange between the two regions.