On Sunday (March 26), Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about the Saurashtra-Tamil Sangamam during the 99th edition of his monthly radio programme ‘Mann ki Baat.’
The Saurashtra-Tamil Sangamam is scheduled to take place between April 17- April 26 this year in Somnath, Dwarka, the Statue of Unity at Kevadia and Rajkot in Gujarat under the ‘Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat‘ initiative.
While speaking about the matter, PM Modi said, “My dear countrymen, in our country, with the passage of time, according to the situation and circumstances, many traditions develop. These traditions increase the strength of our culture and also give it new vitality daily.”
PM Sh @narendramodi spoke about how Kashi-Tamil Sangamam celebrated the centuries-old cultural ties between Kashi & Tamil in the spirit of #EkBharatShreshtBharat
— G Kishan Reddy (@kishanreddybjp) March 26, 2023
In this spirit of unity, Saurashtra-Tamil Sangamam will be held next month in different parts of Gujarat#MannKiBaat pic.twitter.com/FIUd0ORdIe
“A few months ago, one such tradition started in Kashi. During the Kashi-Tamil Sangamam, the centuries-old historical and cultural ties between Kashi and the Tamil region were celebrated…” he emphasised.
“With this spirit of unity, ‘Saurashtra-Tamil Sangamam’ will be held in different parts of Gujarat next month… Some listeners of ‘Mann Ki Baat’ must be wondering, what the relation of Saurashtra in Gujarat with Tamil Nadu is?” PM Modi pointed out.
“Let me tell you, centuries ago many people from Saurashtra had settled in different parts of Tamil Nadu. These people are still known as ‘Saurashtri Tamil’. Even today, some glimpses of Saurashtra can be found in their food habits, lifestyle and social rituals,” he further added.
3000 people from Tamil Nadu to visit Gujarat for Saurashtra-Tamil Sangamam
As per a report in The Print, over 3,000 people from Tamil Nadu will visit Gujarat in April for the ten-day cultural exchange programme. The Saurashtra-Tamil Sangamam is aimed at showcasing the “age-old ties” between the two States.
It has been planned by NIT Tiruchirappalli, Saurashtra University (Rajkot), and is being facilitated by the Gujarat government. Every day, a train with 288 delegates, including youth, students, teachers, professionals, and cultural experts will travel to Gujarat from Tamil Nadu.
They will be shown the State’s infrastructure and tourism development. Reportedly, Saurashtrians migrated to the southern parts of India (Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh) following the destruction of the Somnath Temple by Islamic invader Mahmud Ghazni in 1024 CE.
Reportedly, the Madurai district in Tamil Nadu is home to over 2.5 lakh Saurashtrians. Author A.S. Panneerselvan told The Print, “Saurashtra-Tamil Sangamam is a means of reaching out to the Saurashtrian community, which is integrated with Tamil consciousness.”
The itinerary of the Saurashtra Tamil Sangamam includes a two-day train journey from Madurai to Somnath, where the delegates will spend two days visiting the Somnath temple for darshan. They will also participate in an organised tour showcasing the city’s cultural, and spiritual landmarks.
On the 6th day, the group will go on a road trip to Dwarka. Following multiple temple visits, the delegates will reach Vadodara by train on Day 7. They will then be taken to Ektanagar by road. The delegates will visit the Statue of Unity, the botanical garden, the city’s nutrition park, and undertake a jungle safari.
Kashi-Tamil Sangamam was inaugurated in November 2022
On November 19 last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the ‘Kashi Tamil Sangamam’ in Varanasi as part of the government’s vision of ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat.’
Kashi and Tamil Nadu share cultural ties since ancient times, and the month-long programme is aimed at preserving them. During the event, PM Modi said, “Embracing the entire India, Kashi is the cultural capital of India whereas Tamil Nadu and Tamil culture is the centre of India’s antiquity and glory.”
“In Kashi, we have Baba Vishwanath, while in Tamil Nadu we have the blessings of Lord Rameshwaram. Both Kashi and Tamil Nadu are immersed in Shiva,” he highlighted their importance in the Indic civilisation.
In Varanasi, addressing the ‘Kashi-Tamil Sangamam.’ It is a wonderful confluence of India’s culture and heritage. https://t.co/ZX3WRhrxm9
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 19, 2022
The Indian Prime Minister also used the opportunity to call for an end to linguistic barriers and unite ourselves in the spirit of diversity. “This is the responsibility of 130 crore Indians to preserve the legacy of Tamil and enrich it,” he said during his address in Varanasi.
“If we ignore Tamil we do a great disservice to the nation and if we keep Tamil confined in restrictions we will do great harm to it. We have to remember to remove linguistic differences and establish emotional unity”, he further outlined.
He added, “In Amrit Kaal, our resolutions will be fulfilled by the unity of the whole country. Kashi-Tamil Sangamam will become a platform for this resolution today while making us realise our duties, and being a source of energy to strengthen national unity.”
Plans underway for Kedarnath-Tamil Sangamam
As per reports, plans are underway for ‘Kedarnath-Tamil Sangamam’ to celebrate the cultural links between people from the southern part of the country and the sacred shrines of Uttarakhand in the North.
BJP leader B.L. Santosh told The Hindu that the event is in its ideation stage, and work is underway to turn the plans into a reality. PM Modi has said that such events were unique attempts where states shared their culture, civilization, and heritage with each other, uniting the country in soft power.
Kedarnath, which has been frequented by PM Modi, is one of the four sacred shrines of Shiva among the Char Dham and is situated on the banks of Mandakini. It is the 11th out of 12 jyotirlingas (shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva) in India.
