Fourth edition of ‘Kashi Tamil Sangamam’ begins in Varanasi

• Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated the fourth edition of the Kashi Tamil Sangamam (KTS 4.0) on December 2 in Varanasi.

• The event marks a renewed celebration of centuries-old ties between Kashi and Tamil Nadu, fostering deep learning, pilgrimage, and artistic and academic exchange.

• Delegates from Tamil Nadu will immerse themselves in Kashi’s cultural, educational and spiritual landscape. 

• The programme includes visits to universities, heritage sites, craft clusters, temples and knowledge institutions, along with interactions with scholars, students and local communities.

• More than 1,400 delegates from Tamil Nadu belonging to seven broad categories — students, teachers, writers and media professionals, those from agriculture and allied sectors, professionals and artisans, women, and spiritual scholars — will participate in events at Kashi. 

• The 2025 edition of the Kashi Tamil Sangamam will centre on the theme “Let Us Learn Tamil – Tamil Karkalam”, aimed at promoting Tamil learning across India and deepening appreciation for the country's classical linguistic and literary heritage.

• The event, which began at Namo Ghat in Varanasi, features an exhibition  highlighting the life philosophies of great personalities from Kashi and Tamil Nadu, and the work being undertaken by the central government for public welfare. 

• Kashi Tamil Sangamam is organised by the Ministry of Education with the participation of 10 Union ministries, including Railways, Culture, Tourism, Textiles, Youth Affairs and Sports, along with the government of Uttar Pradesh. IIT Madras and BHU are serving as the knowledge partners for this edition. 

• Since its inception in 2022, Kashi Tamil Sangamam has developed into a structured cultural and educational engagement between Tamil Nadu and Kashi. 

• Each edition has expanded its scope through curated delegations, thematic focus areas, academic interactions, and heritage experiences, steadily strengthening the civilisational relationship between the two regions.

• The initiative embodies the essence of ‘Ek Bharat, Shrestha Bharat’ programme, encouraging people to understand and appreciate the richness of cultures beyond their own.

Ek Bharat, Shrestha Bharat

• The ‘Ek Bharat, Shrestha Bharat’ programme, aims to actively enhance interaction between people of diverse cultures living in different states and UTs in India, with the objective of promoting greater mutual understanding amongst them.

• It aims to foster national integration by a coordinated mutual engagement process between states, Union Territories, central ministries, educational institutions and the general public through linguistic, literary, cultural, sports, tourism and other forms of people to people exchanges.

• The programme was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 31, 2015.

• The Ministry of Education coordinates its implementation.

• As per the programme, each year, every state/UT would be paired with another state/UT for reciprocal interaction between the people. 

• It is envisaged through this exchange, that the knowledge of the language, culture, traditions and practices of different states will lead to an enhanced understanding and bonding between one another, thereby strengthening the unity and integrity of India. 

• The states and UTs are to embark on a mission to enhance their cultural, academic and economic ties by entering into a wide range of mutual engagements with the paired states/UTs covering the spheres of music, drama, cuisine, language, history, tourism and other forms of exchange between the people.