Varanasi: Kashi and Tamil Nadu both are timeless centres of culture and civilization, both are Shivmay (drenched in the devotion of Lord Shiv) and Shaktimay (drenched in the devotion of Goddess Shakti), Prime Minister Narendra Modi said while inaugurating the ‘Kashi Tamil Sangamam’ in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh on Saturday. Both regions are the centres of the oldest languages, Sanskrit and Tamil, he added. Speaking at the inaugural program, PM Modi said that Sangam plays a very vital role in our country. "This Sangamam is the celebration of India's diverse cultures and the gathering comes at a time when India enters its Amrit Kaal," he added.
Highlighting about the importance of this event PM Modi said that India is a country that has for the past 1000 years followed cultural unity and so the month-long programme at Kashi aims to celebrate, reaffirm and rediscover the age-old links between Kashi and Tamil Nadu - two of the country's most significant ancient origins for learning.
The Kashi Tamil Sangamam will offer an opportunity for scholars, philosophers, artists, researchers, students, traders, artisans, etc. from the two states to collaborate, share expertise, culture, ideas, best practices and knowledge and learn from each others' experience. More than 2500 delegates from Tamil Nadu will arrive at Varanasi to participate in seminars, site visits, etc to interact with local people of similar trade, profession and interest.
A month-long exhibition of handlooms, handicrafts, ODOP (One district, one product) products, books, documentaries, cuisine, art forms, history, tourist places etc of the two regions will also be put up in Kashi. The Prime Minister will also be addressing Tamil speakers at the Amphitheater Ground of Banaras Hindu University.
Kashi's relationship with the southern parts of India which includes states like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh is not new. In the narrow streets of Kashi, there are six neighborhoods where people from south India have settled in the past and have been residing there for hundreds of years now, and have effectively picked up several cultures of Kashi. This month-long program in Kashi aims to strengthen and cherish these bonds.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the state's first greenfield airport, Donyi Polo Airport in Itanagar. The move is a key step to boost connectivity in the Northeast. The name of the airport reflects the traditions and rich cultural heritage of Arunachal Pradesh and the age-old indigenous reverence for the Sun ('Donyi') and the Moon ('Polo') in the state. PM Narendra Modi also dedicated 600 MW Kameng hydroelectric power project in Arunachal Pradesh to the nation.
