PM Modi will inaugurate the second edition of Kashi Tamil Sangamam tomorrow

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Sunday inaugurate the second edition of the Kashi Tamil Sangamam at ‘Namo Ghat’ in his parliamentary constituency Varanasi and flag off the Kanyakumari-Varanasi Tamil Sangamam train, according to officials here.

The cultural festival will be organized from 17 to 30 December. The first batch of Tamil delegation left Chennai on 15 December. Around 1,400 people (seven groups of 200 each) from different walks of life are expected to travel from different parts of the world. Tamil Nadu, he said.

The official said that during his stay in Kashi, as per his tour schedule, he will also visit Prayagraj and Ayodhya.

“Seven groups of students (Ganga), teachers (Yamuna), professionals (Godavari), spiritual (Saraswati), farmers and artisans (Narmada), writers (Sindhu) and merchants and traders (Kaveri) are named after seven sacred rivers. People from India will travel from Chennai, Coimbatore and Kanyakumari to Kashi,” an official statement said on Saturday.

“More than 42,000 registrations were received at the time of registration. Out of them, 200 people were selected for each group by the selection committee,” it said.

The Union Ministry of Education will be the nodal agency for this event. Ministries of Culture, Tourism, Railways, Textiles, Food Processing (ODOP), MSME, Information & Broadcasting, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, IRCTC and related departments of the Government of Uttar Pradesh will participate in the event.

“Leveraging the experience of the first phase and considering their reputation for research, IIT Madras in Tamil Nadu and Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in Uttar Pradesh will act as the implementing agencies,” the statement said.

“The delegate itinerary will include a two-day outbound visit, a two-day return visit to Banaras and a one-day visit to Prayagraj and Ayodhya. Establishment of stalls showcasing art and culture, handloom, handicrafts, cuisine and other exclusive products of Tamil Nadu and Kashi. Cultural programs combining the cultures of Tamil Nadu and Kashi will also be organized at Namo Ghat in Kashi.

During the program seminars, discussions and lectures on various aspects of knowledge such as literature, ancient texts, philosophy, spirituality, music, dance, drama, yoga, ayurveda, handloom, handicrafts as well as modern innovations, business exchanges, edtech and Will be organized. Other next-generation technologies, the statement said.

Additionally, experts and scholars, local practitioners from various disciplines/professions from Tamil Nadu and Kashi will also participate in these exchanges so that a body of practical knowledge/innovation can emerge from mutual learning in various fields.