2nd edition of Kashi Samay Sangamam
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the second edition of Kashi Tamil Sangamam at Namo Ghat. During this, he flagged off the Kashi Tamil Sangamam Special train which flagged off the Kashi-Kanyakumari Express running once a week. UP CM Yogi Adityanath, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and other leaders participated in this program. Kashi Tamil Sangamam 2023 is a Government of India initiative, part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. Its objective is to maintain the spirit of 'One India, Best India'.
This event is an initiative taken by the Government of India as part of the "Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav" and to maintain the spirit of Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat. The second phase of Kasi Tamil Sangamam will be organized from 17 to 30 December, 2023. Around 1400 people (7 groups of 200 persons each) representing different sectors from different parts of Tamil Nadu are expected to participate in this event. These 7 groups are named after the seven sacred rivers of India. Students (Ganga), teachers (Yamuna), professionals (Godavari), spiritual people (Saraswati), farmers and artisans (Narmada), writers (Sindhu) and Traders and businessmen (Kaveri).
Introduction to Kasi Tamil Sangamam:
- The Ministry of Education, Government of India will be the nodal agency for this event.
- Ministry of Culture, Tourism, Railways, Textiles, Food Processing (ODOP), MSME, Information & Broadcasting, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, IRCTC and related departments of Uttar Pradesh Government will also participate in it.
- IIT Madras and Banaras Hindu University (BHU) will act as the implementing agency.
Kashi Tamil Sangamam celebrates the many aspects of historical and civilizational ties between the North and South of India. - Its broad objective is to bring closer the knowledge and cultural traditions (of the North and the South), develop an understanding of our common heritage and strengthen the bonds between the people of these regions.
Cultural importance:
- King Parakrama Pandya, who ruled the area around Madurai in the 15th century, wanted to build a temple of Lord Shiva and traveled to Kashi (Uttar Pradesh) to bring a Shivalinga.
- While returning from there, he stopped to rest under a tree on the way and then when he tried to proceed on his journey, the cow carrying the Shivling absolutely refused to move ahead.
- Parakram Pandya considered this to be God's wish and installed the Shivalinga there, which later came to be known as Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu.
- For those devotees who could not go to Kashi, the Pandyas built the Kashi Vishwanathar temple, which is today known as Tenkasi in south-western Tamil Nadu.
- This place is located close to the border of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.