Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will jointly inaugurate the fourth edition of the Kashi–Tamil Sangamam (KTS 4.0) today in Varanasi, marking a renewed celebration of the historic cultural bond between Kashi and Tamil Nadu.
The opening ceremony will be attended, among others, by Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi, Puducherry Lieutenant Governor K. Kailashnathan, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, and Union Minister of State L. Murugan.
This year’s edition is centred on the theme “Learn Tamil – Tamil Karkalam,” aimed at promoting Tamil language learning and deepening appreciation for Tamil Nadu’s linguistic and literary heritage.
More than 1,400 delegates from Tamil Nadu, including students, teachers, writers, media professionals, farmers, artisans, women, and spiritual scholars, will participate in an eight-day experiential tour across Varanasi, Prayagraj, and Ayodhya.
As part of a major outreach initiative, 50 Tamil teachers will be stationed across 50 schools in Varanasi to teach 1,500 students the basics of spoken Tamil.
Complementing this effort, 300 college students from Uttar Pradesh will visit 10 leading institutions across Tamil Nadu, where they will attend Tamil language sessions and engage with the state’s cultural and intellectual traditions firsthand.
Kashi Tamil Sangamam, launched in 2022, is a cultural initiative celebrating the centuries-old civilisational relationship between Tamil Nadu and Kashi.
Held under the aegis of the Ministry of Education, the initiative is supported by IIT Madras and Banaras Hindu University as principal knowledge partners, and involves the participation of ten Union ministries, including Railways, Culture, Tourism, Textiles, and Youth Affairs & Sports, along with the Government of Uttar Pradesh.