Kashi Tamil Sangamam 5.0 To Be Held From 28 November To 12 December, Registration Opens For 1,400 Participants From Tamil Nadu

The fifth edition of Kashi Tamil Sangamam (KTS 5.0) will be held from 28 November to 12 December, bringing around 1,400 participants from Tamil Nadu to Uttar Pradesh for cultural, educational and spiritual exchanges across Varanasi, Prayagraj and Ayodhya.

Union Minister for Education Pralhad Joshi launched the registration portal for the programme on Thursday (22 October), with applications open until 13 November.

The programme, organised under the Ministry of Education's Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat initiative, seeks to strengthen cultural and civilisational connections between Tamil Nadu and Kashi.

This year's edition will focus on the theme "Thirukkural Payilvom – Thirukkural Abhyas Karen", introducing students and young learners across the country to the ethical and moral teachings of the classical Tamil text Thirukkural.

According to the Ministry of Education, approximately 1,400 participants from Tamil Nadu will be organised into seven groups of around 200 members each.

Each group will undertake an eight-day journey, comprising four days of travel and four days of visits and structured programmes.

The itinerary will cover Varanasi, Prayagraj and Ayodhya, with activities focused on cultural exchange, education and spiritual traditions.

Applications are being accepted through the official registration portal, kashitamil.iitm.ac.in, under seven categories: students, teachers, writers and media professionals, agriculture and allied sectors, professionals and artisans, women, and spiritual leaders.

A major component of KTS 5.0 will be a nationwide student engagement programme involving 1,000 higher education institutions.

The initiative will introduce students from different academic and linguistic backgrounds to the teachings of Thirukkural through structured study, research and campus-based activities.

Thirukkural experts from Tamil Nadu will also visit schools and colleges in Varanasi to conduct interactive sessions, orientation programmes and quizzes.

The National Book Trust, in collaboration with Rashtriya e-Pustakalaya, will organise activities in Varanasi schools focusing on reading habits, storytelling and creative learning.

The programme will also use technology and multilingual educational resources to make the teachings of Thirukkural accessible to a wider audience.

Speaking at the portal launch, Joshi highlighted the longstanding cultural connections between Kashi and Rameswaram, noting that religious and cultural exchanges between northern and southern India have continued for centuries.

He said the programme would bring together students, teachers, writers, professionals, agriculturalists, artists, women and spiritual scholars.

The first Kashi Tamil Sangamam was organised in 2022. Its previous four editions facilitated exchanges involving language, traditions, knowledge and cultural practices between Tamil Nadu and Kashi.

The fifth edition is being organised by the Department of Higher Education in collaboration with IIT Madras, Banaras Hindu University, the Central Institute of Classical Tamil, the Uttar Pradesh government and several central ministries.

Interested participants from Tamil Nadu can submit their applications until 13 November, ahead of the programme's commencement on 28 November.