IIT Madras to host Kashi Tamil Sangamam 3.0 from February 15; 200 Tamil students to join cultural tours

NEW DELHI: Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras will host Kashi Tamil Sangamam 3.0, scheduled to take place from February 15 to February 24, 2025. Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan officially announced the commencement of the third edition of Kashi Tamil Sangamam and launched the official website for the event, the KTS portal, today on January 15, 2025.

The registration process for the cultural event has begun. As per the official announcement, the last date to register for the Kashi Tamil Sangamam 3.0 is February 1, 2025, and the final list of delegates will be announced on February 5. As per the schedule available on the KTS 3.0 portal, the first group of delegates will leave Tamil Nadu on February 13, 2025, and the last group will return to Tamil Nadu on February 26, 2025.

"I am delighted to welcome you all today as we officially announce the commencement of the much-anticipated third edition of the Kashi Tamil Sangamam, an event that celebrates the timeless bond between the vibrant cultures of Tamil Nadu and Kashi," Dharmendra Pradhan said at a press conference in Delhi.

Participation across five categories

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Kashi Tamil Sangamam 3.0. According to the KTS portal, around 1,000 people under five categories including students, teachers, farmers and artisans, professionals and small entrepreneurs, women, and researchers will participate in this Kashi Tamil Sangamam this year.

Additionally, a batch of 200 Tamil students from all Central Universities including Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and National Institutes of Technology (NITs) will also take part in the local trips to Varanasi, Prayag Raj, and Ayodhya. Participation of youth in all the categories will be encouraged this year.

Special book by IGNCA on Rishi Agasthya

The main theme of Kashi Tamil Sangamam 3.0 is Rishi Agasthya, highlighting the significant contributions of Sage Agasthyar to the Siddha System of Medicine (Bharatiya Chikitsa), Classical Tamil Literature, and also his contributions in the cultural unity of the Nation.

According to the official press conference, the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) will create a special book on Rishi Agasthya for the occasion, and the Central Institute of Classical Tamil will release various literary works.

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Backdrop of Maha Kumbh

During the press conference, Pradhan said that the KTs 3.0 event will be held under the backdrop of Kumbh and marks a historic occasion as it is the first Kashi Tamil Sangamam since the Pran Pratishtha ceremony at Ayodhya.

“This year the Kashi Tamil Sangamam is coinciding with two important events namely the celebration of Maha Kumbh at Sangam, Prayagraj and the consecration of Ramjanmabhoomi temple at Ayodhya. The delegates will be taken to have a holy “snan” at Sangam and also the darshan of the temple at Ayodhya,” the official portal read.

The first phase of the Kashi Tamil Sangamam was organised from November 16 to December 16, 2022, and over 2,500 people from Tamil Nadu representing 12 different walks of life travelled to Kashi, Prayagraj and Ayodhya on an 8-day tour.

The Kashi Tamil Sangamam 2.0 took place from December 17 to 30, 2023 in Kashi. Around 1,400 delegated from 7 groups of 200 persons each participated from different parts of Tamil Nadu.