Tamil Nadu: Students delegate joins Kashi locals for 2nd Editon of Kashi Tamil Sangamam

Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) [India], December 17 : A delegate of students from Tamil Nadu reached Varanasi to join Kashi Tamil Sangamam.
"A heartwarming start with dance and music. The first student delegates from Tamil Nadu join the Kashi locals who have come to welcome them for Kashi Tamil Sangamam," Kashi Tamil Sangamam posted on X.
Kashi Tamil Sangamam 2023 is an initiative by the Govt of India, part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav to uphold the Spirit of Ek Bharat Shreshta Bharat.
The second edition of the Kashi Tamil Sangamam (KTS) is being held from December 17-30, 2023. The event is part of the government's Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat Yuva Sangam programme.
IIT Madras will launch the Kashi Tamil Sangamam Phase II registration portal on November 27, 2023.
The KTS is a celebration of the shared history and culture of North and South India. The event aims to strengthen the bonds between the two regions by sharing knowledge, culture, and best practices.
The second edition of this Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat programme is proposed to be held from December 17, the first day of the holy Tamil Margali month, to December 30. Like its first edition, this programme proposes to take forward the objective of reviving the living bonds between Varanasi and Tamil Nadu--two important centres of learning and culture in ancient India--by facilitating people-to-people connections across different walks of life.
As per the Ministry of Education, "In Phase 2 of KTS, it is proposed that around 1400 people from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry will travel by train to Varanasi, Prayagraj and Ayodhya for an 8-day immersive tour, including the travel time. They will be divided into 7 groups of around 200 each, comprising students, teachers, farmers & artisans, traders & businessmen, religious, writers, and professionals. Each group will be named after a sacred river (Ganga, Yamuna, Saraswati, Sindhu, Narmada, Godavari and Kaveri)".
"The delegates will see places of historical, tourist and religious interest and interact with people of UP from their domains of work. KTS 2.0 would have a crisper format with an emphasis on awareness generation and outreach, people-to-people connect and cultural immersion. The focus would be on increased engagement and interaction with local counterparts (weavers, artisans, artists, entrepreneurs, writers, etc.) to get insights into best practises, enhance learning and cross-pollination of ideas," the ministry added.
The Ministry of Education will be the nodal ministry for the programme with participation from Ministries of Culture including ASI, Railways including IRCTC, Tourism, Textiles, Food Processing (ODOP), MSME, I&B, SD&E, and concerned departments in the Govt of UP. To capitalise on the learnings from Phase I and given its reputation for research, IIT Madras will serve as the implementing agency in TN and BHU in UP.
The delegate itinerary will include two days of onward journey and two days of return journey: two days at Varanasi and one day each at Prayagraj and Ayodhya. Stalls exhibiting art and culture, handlooms, handicrafts, cuisine, and other special products of Tamil Nadu and Kashi will be set up, and cultural programmes blending the cultures of Tamil Nadu and Kashi will be organised at Namo Ghat in Varanasi.
During this period, there will be academic exchanges--seminars, discussions, lectures, and demos on various facets of knowledge like literature, ancient texts, philosophy, spirituality, music, dance, drama, yoga, Ayurveda, handlooms, handicrafts, as well as, modern innovations, trade exchanges, edutech and other next-generation technology, etc.
Apart from experts and scholars, local practical practitioners from the above subjects/professions from Tamil Nadu and Varanasi will also participate in these exchanges so that a body of practical knowledge/innovations can emerge from mutual learning in different fields.
Dedicated awareness generation and outreach activities would be organised by IIT Madras in coordination with identified institutions in Tamil Nadu, with workshops, seminars, meetings and other outreach campaign programmes being conducted from December 1 to 31.

IIT Madras has called for applications on the KTS portal launched today from people of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry who wish to participate in the programme. The selection of delegates will be done by a selection committee constituted for this purpose.
The first edition of Kashi Tamil Sangamam was held from November 16 to December 16, 2022, with a whole-government approach. Over 2500 people from Tamil Nadu, representing 12 different walks of life, had travelled to Varanasi, Prayagraj and Ayodhya on 8 tours, during which they had an immersive experience of different aspects of life in and around Varanasi.