The fifth edition of the Kashi Tamil Sangamam, to be held from November 28 to December 12, will be built around the theme of the classical Tamil text, Thirukkural, Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi said on Thursday.
Launching the registration portal for the event, Mr. Joshi said it would celebrate, reaffirm, and strengthen age-old civilizational bonds between Tamil Nadu and Kashi, two ancient seats of learning, according to an Education Ministry statement. This is in line with the spirit of unity exemplified in the government’s slogan, ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat.’
Adopting the theme, ‘Thirukkural Payilvom – Thirukkural Abhyas Karen’, the event seeks to bring the ethical and moral wisdom of the Sangam-era Thirukkural to modern youth and learners across the country, the statement said. “Through educational engagement, multilingual resources and wider public outreach, the programme seeks to encourage reading, understanding and application of universal values as enshrined in the text, in everyday life,” it added.
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi greets during the launch of the registration portal for the Kashi Tamil Sangamam 5.0. | Photo Credit: ANI
Registration open
As part of the programme, around 1,400 participants from Tamil Nadu, organised into seven groups of 200 each, will undertake an eight-day journey comprising four days of travel and four days of visits and structured programmes. The itinerary will include Varanasi, Prayagraj, and Ayodhya, featuring cultural, academic, domain-specific, and spiritual engagements, the Ministry said.
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“The emphasis on youth participation will enable a new generation to engage meaningfully with India’s classical knowledge traditions and carry their values into contemporary academic, professional and social life,” it added.
Interested applicants may register through the official portal at https://kashitamil.iitm.ac.in/ hosted by IIT Madras from October 22 till November 13. Applications will be accepted under seven categories: students, teachers, writers and media professionals, agriculture and allied sectors, professionals and artisans, women, and spiritual leaders.
Promoting Thirukkural’s core values
A nationwide students’ engagement programme will be undertaken through 1,000 higher education institutions across the country to promote a wider understanding of the Thirukkural among students from diverse academic disciplines and linguistic backgrounds, the Ministry said. The initiative will include structured study, research, and campus-based activities for wider dissemination of the teachings and values of the Thirukkural. More details are available at www.kts.cict.in.
Thirukkural experts from Tamil Nadu will visit various schools and colleges in Varanasi and introduce the students to the core values of the text through orientation modules, interactive sessions, and quizzes.
The National Book Trust, in association with the Rashtriya e-Pustakalaya, will conduct interactive sessions in schools in Varanasi on reading habits, storytelling and creative activities.
The Kashi Tamil Sangamam will also leverage technology to make the teachings of the Thirukkural accessible to a wider audience across India, the Ministry statement said.
North-south bonds
Speaking at the portal launch, Mr. Joshi said that since ancient times, the country has had a strong cultural unity. He noted that many people visited Kashi and Rameswaram as part of their religious traditions, reflecting the deep-rooted cultural bonds between the northern and southern parts of India, the statement said.
The first Kashi Tamil Sangamam was held in 2022. This year’s edition is organised by the Union Education Ministry, in collaboration with IIT Madras, Banaras Hindu University, and the Central Institute of Classical Tamil, Chennai, as well as the Uttar Pradesh government and the Union Ministries of Culture, Railways, School Education, Tourism, Textiles, Food Processing Industries, Information and Broadcasting, and Skill Development.