Kashi Tamil Sangamam 4.0

• 04 Dec 2025

Why in News?

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath jointly inaugurated the 4th edition of the Kashi–Tamil Sangamam (KTS 4.0) in Varanasi, marking a renewed celebration of the historic cultural bond between Kashi and Tamil Nadu.

Key Points

• Origin: Launched in 2022 during Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, the Sangamam reaffirms India’s deep civilisational heritage and celebrates the longstanding movement of ideas, spirituality and culture between the two regions.
  • Since 2022, Sangamam editions have expanded, KTS 1.0 (foundation), KTS 2.0 (larger public participation, real-time Tamil translation, high footfall exhibitions), and KTS 3.0 (knowledge-centred focus on Sage Agastya, NEP 2020-aligned sessions).
• Theme: This edition is centred on the theme “Let Us Learn Tamil – Tamil Karkalam”, placing Tamil language learning and linguistic unity at the heart of the Sangamam.
• Key Programmes: Major initiatives include Tamil Karkalam (Tamil teaching in Varanasi schools), Tamil Karpom (Tamil-learning study tours for 300 Kashi-region students), and the Sage Agastya Vehicle Expedition tracing ancient civilisational routes.
• Organiser: Anchored in Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat and held under the Ministry of Education, the initiative is supported by IIT Madras and Banaras Hindu University as knowledge partners, with active participation from ten Union ministries, including Railways, Culture, Tourism, Textiles and Youth Affairs & Sports, along with the Government of Uttar Pradesh.
• Cross-Regional Participation: Over 1,400 delegates from Tamil Nadu, spanning students, teachers, writers, farmers, artisans, professionals, women and spiritual scholars will participate in cultural, academic and heritage programmes in Kashi.
• Tamil Teaching in UP Schools: Fifty Tamil teachers will teach introductory Tamil in 50 Varanasi schools between 2nd–15th December 2025, enabling 1,500 students to learn spoken Tamil.
  • Simultaneously, 300 students from Uttar Pradesh will travel to Tamil Nadu for immersive Tamil learning, cultural sessions and visits to sites with historic Tamil–Kashi linkages.
• Sage Agastya Expedition: The SAVE expedition will travel from Tenkasi to Kashi (2nd–10th December 2025), highlighting connections across dynasties (Chera, Chola, Pandya, Pallava, Chalukya, Vijayanagara), and celebrating the shared heritage of Tamil and Indian knowledge traditions.
• Symbolic Conclusion: The 2025 edition will conclude with a grand Valedictory Function at Rameswaram, completing a symbolic north–south cultural arc from Kashi to Tamil Nadu.