New Delhi, Dec 2 (IANS) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will participate in the inaugural ceremony of the fourth edition of the Kashi Tamil Sangamam (KTS) to be held in the Holy city of Varanasi, on Tuesday.

Building on the success of previous editions, the unique initiative strengthens the cultural and intellectual ties between Tamil Nadu and Kashi, embodying the spirit of “Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat”.

The formal inauguration at Namo Ghat will also be attended by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi, Puducherry Lieutenant Governor K. Kailash Nath, and several other dignitaries and eminent personalities.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is also expected to visit the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple and the Kaal Bhairav Temple for darshan. Altogether, over 1,400 delegates are expected to be present in the event this year.

The theme of KTS 4.0 is “Let us Learn Tamil – Tamil Karkalam”.

This will be a unifying feature of the event, spreading the message that all Indian languages are our language and belong to one Bharatiya Bhasha family.

This initiative aims to take Tamil to other parts of the country, signifying cultural oneness and expanding the horizon of ancient knowledge preserved in classical Tamil texts and its dissemination in other Indian languages.

It celebrates the linguistic diversity and unity of India while promoting the rich heritage of Tamil language and literature.

Traditional artists from Tamil Nadu will join their counterparts in Varanasi to present a joint performance that will be a blend of India’s diverse cultural heritage.

On Saturday, a special train left Kanyakumari for Varanasi with the first group of students participating in KTS 4.0. This group comprised 43 students from Kanyakumari, 86 from Tiruchirappalli, and 87 from Chennai.

They will reach Varanasi on Tuesday and, after a brief tour, will join the inaugural programme that evening.

Upon arrival, delegates to the Tamil Sangamam will first visit Hanuman Ghat, where they will take a holy dip in the Ganga, and then visit temples associated with South Indian traditions, and also learn about the historical significance.

They are also scheduled to visit the Kashi Vishwanath Dham and receive prasad at Maa Annapurna Rasoi. The team will then visit the famous Banaras Hindu University (BHU) to attend academic sessions and explore various important locations on the university campus.

The first edition of KTS was held from November 16 to December 15 in 2022 by the Ministry of Education in collaboration with Uttar Pradesh government.

Over 2,500 people from Tamil Nadu, representing 12 different walks of life, had travelled to Varanasi, Prayagraj, and Ayodhya on an eight day-tours. KTS 2.0 was held December 17-30 in 2023 at Namo Ghat in Varanasi, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The event featured the first-ever real-time, app-based translation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech in Tamil for visiting delegates.

The third chapter took place February 15-24 this year, highlighting the legacy of Sage Agasthyar and bridging Indian knowledge tradition with contemporary discourse. Around 1,000 delegates from Tamil Nadu participated, including an additional 200 students from various Central Universities.

–IANS

rs/