New Delhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi formally inaugurated the Kashi Tamil Sangamam on Saturday. During this, he released Tirukkural, a book composed in Tamil language, translated books in many other Indian languages and interacted with students from Tamil Nadu who came to Kashi. PM Modi honored Aadhinams (religious leaders) of various religious places and monasteries in Tamil Nadu. Governor Anandiben Patel and CM Yogi Adityanath and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan were also present with him.
Kashi Tamil Sangam boasts of infinite possibilities and potential like Ganga Yamuna
In his address during the program, the Prime Minister welcomed all the guests by saying Har Har Mahadev, Vanakkam Kashi, Vanakkam Tamil Nadu. He said that there is great glory of Sangams in our country. From the confluence of rivers and streams to ideas and ideologies, we have celebrated every confluence of knowledge-science and societies and cultures. This celebration is actually a celebration of India’s diversity and specialties. Today, on the one hand, we have our cultural capital Kashi, which covers the whole of India in itself, and on the other hand, the center of India’s antiquity and pride is our Tamil Nadu and Tamil culture. This confluence is also holy like Ganga Yamuna. It contains infinite possibilities and potential like Ganga Yamuna.
Kashi and Tamil Nadu are timeless centers of culture and civilization
The Prime Minister said that our sages have said Eko han Bahusyam, that is, the same consciousness appears in different forms. We can see the philosophy of Kashi and Tamil Nadu in this form. Both Kashi and Tamil Nadu are timeless centers of culture and civilization. Both regions are centers of the world’s most ancient languages, such as Sanskrit and Tamil. Baba Vishwanath is there in Kashi and Rameshwar is blessed in Tamil Nadu. Both Kashi and Tamil Nadu are Shivamaya and Shaktimay. One is Kashi in itself and then there is Dakshin Kashi in Tamil Nadu. Both Kashi and Kanchi have an important place in the Saptapuris. Both are a wonderful source of music, literature and art. Kashi’s Tabla and Tamil Nadu’s Tannumai. Kashi has Banarasi sarees and Tamil Nadu’s Kanjeevaram silk is famous all over the world. Both are the birthplace and workplace of the greatest masters of Indian spirituality. Kashi is the land of Bhakta Tulsi whereas Tamil Nadu is the land of devotion of Saint Thiruvalluvar. One can see the energy of Kashi and Tamil Nadu in every walk of life.
The undying love for Kashi in Tamil hearts will neither fade away in the past nor fade away in the future
Even today there is mention of Kashi Yatra in Tamil marriage tradition. Kashi Yatra is linked to the new journey of Tamil youth. This undying love for Kashi in Tamil hearts will neither fade away in the past nor fade away in the future. This is the tradition of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat, which was lived by our forefathers. Today this Kashi Tamil Sangamam is again carrying forward that glory.
The people of Tamil Nadu have nurtured Kashi for generations
The Prime Minister said that Tamil Nadu gave unprecedented development in the construction and development of Kashi. Even today, Kashi remembers Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan of Tamil Nadu. He has been the former Vice Chancellor of BHU. The great Vedic scholar Rajeshwar Shastri established Sangveda Vidyalaya here at Ramghat. Pattabhiram Shastri ji stayed at Hanuman Ghat. He too is always remembered in Kashi. If you visit Kashi, you will see that Tamil style Kashi Kamakoti Panchayatan Temple is built on Harishchandra Ghat. There is a 200 year old Kumaraswamy Math and Markandeya Ashram at Kedarghat. Hanumanghat and Kedarghat are home to a large number of people from Tamil Nadu who have contributed to Kashi for generations.
India has lived a natural cultural unity
He said that another great personality of Tamil Nadu, the great poet Subramaniam Bharati lived in Kashi for a long time. It was here that he studied at Mission College and Jainarayan College. He also kept his popular mustache here. Great men have tied Kashi and Tamil Nadu in one thread. This event of Kashi Tamil Sangamam is taking place when India has entered the golden age of its independence. India is that nation which has lived in natural cultural unity knowing and respecting each other’s sentiments for thousands of years. There is a tradition in our country to wake up in the morning and remember the 12 Jyotirlingas. Even while taking a bath, we express the feeling of bathing in the rivers from Ganga Yamuna to Godavari and Kaveri.
Kasi Tamil Sangamam will give energy to strengthen national unity
The Prime Minister said that after independence we should have strengthened the tradition and heritage of thousands of years, but unfortunately not much effort was made for this. Kashi Tamil Sangamam will become a platform for this resolution today. Will give us energy to strengthen national unity. A verse from Vishnupuran tells us what is the nature of India. India is that which covers all diversities from the Himalayas to the Indian Ocean and every child of it is an Indian. Ganga has been described in Tamil Sangam literature. The glory of Kashi has been sung in Thirukkural. It was this physical distance and this affinity that broke the language barrier that Swami Kumaragurupar came to Kashi from Tamil Nadu and made it his workplace. Swami Kumaragurupar built the Kedareshwar temple here at Kedarghat. Later his disciples built the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Thanjavur district.
We cannot know India without understanding the Indian philosophy of the scholars of the South.
Born in Tamil Nadu, Ramanujacharya traveled from Kashi to Kashmir. Even today his knowledge is considered to be the basis. My teacher told me that you must have read Ramayana and Mahabharata, but if you want to understand it deeply then you must read the Mahabharata written by Rajaji. We cannot know India without understanding the Indian philosophy of the scholars of the South right up to Ramanujacharya, Shankaracharya, Rajaji and Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan.
Saving Tamil heritage is the responsibility of 130 crore countrymen
The Prime Minister said that India has put forward the five lives of pride in its heritage. If any country in the world has any ancient heritage, it takes pride in it. proudly presents it to the world. There are many examples in front of us, from the pyramids of Egypt to the Collegium of Italy. We also have Tamil, the oldest language in the world. Till today this language is equally popular and live. When the people of the world come to know that the oldest language of the world is in India, they are surprised, but we lag behind in glorifying it. It is the responsibility of us 130 crore countrymen that we have to save this heritage of Tamil. He has to be enriched. If Tamil is forgotten, the country will be at a loss. If you keep Tamils tied in chains, then also the country will be harmed. We have to remove the language difference and establish emotional unity.
My Kashi will leave no stone unturned in your hospitality.
The Prime Minister said that Kashi Tamil Sangamam is more a matter of experience than words. The Kashi Yatra of all the guests from Tamil Nadu is going to be etched in their memory. This will become the capital of your life. My Kashi will leave no stone unturned in your hospitality. I want such events to be held in Tamil Nadu and other southern states and people from other states of the country go there. These seeds became the banyan tree of national unity. National interest is our interest.