Throwing light on the connection between Kashi and Tamil Nadu, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that on one hand, Kashi is the cultural capital of India whereas Tamil Nadu and Tamil culture is the centre of India’s antiquity and pride.
Drawing an analogy to the confluence of the Ganga and Yamuna rivers, the Prime Minister said the Kashi-Tamil Sangam is equally holy which engulfs endless opportunities and strength in itself.
He inaugurated ‘Kashi Tamil Sangamam’ – a month-long programme being organised in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh on Saturday. The objective of the programme is to celebrate, reaffirm and rediscover the age-old links between Tamil Nadu and Kashi – two of the country’s most important and ancient seats of learning. More than 2500 delegates from Tamil Nadu will be visiting Kashi.
During the programme, the Prime Minister also released a book ‘Tirukkural’ along with its translation into 13 languages. He also witnessed a cultural programme followed by aarti.
Throwing light on the rich culture and traditions of India, Modi said that both these places are marked as the birthplace and workplace of India’s finest acharyas. He underlined that one can experience similar energies in Kashi and Tamil Nadu.
He said, “Even today the relevance of Kashi Yatra comes up during the traditional Tamil marriage procession.” He underlined that unending love for Kashi from Tamil Nadu signifies the feeling of Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat which was the way of life of our ancestors.
The Prime Minister underlined that the Kashi-Tamil Sangam is taking place during the Azadi Ka Amrit Kaal. He said, “In Amrit Kaal, our resolutions will be fulfilled by the unity of the whole country.” He stated that India is a nation which has lived a natural cultural unity for thousands of years.
Throwing light on the tradition of remembering 12 Jyotirlingas after waking up in the morning, the Prime Minister said that we start our day by remembering the spiritual unity of the country.
Modi also lamented the lack of efforts to strengthen this tradition and heritage of thousands of years. He further added that 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.
