Kashi Tamil Sangamam
Kashi Tamil Sangamam is a month-long government-sponsored cultural exchange held in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. It began in 2022 to celebrate and revive the long-standing cultural ties between Tamil Nadu and Kashi (Varanasi). The first edition ran for a month and was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 19, 2022.
The program is part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav and the idea of Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat, aiming to strengthen ties and support the National Education Policy 2020. IIT Madras and Banaras Hindu University helped sponsor the event, and the Railways organized special trains for participants.
About 2,500 people took part, with a budget of around ₹15 crore (about $1.8 million). The event took place in Varanasi and was organized by the Ministry of Education.
Attendees included Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, many Union Ministers, and spiritual leaders such as Sadguru, Swami Ramdev, and Sri Sri Ravishankar.
There was political controversy: the central government said Tamil Nadu’s government did not participate, while DMK leaders claimed they were not invited. Reactions varied, with some scholars praising the initiative and others criticizing it as a political move.
Overall, Kashi Tamil Sangamam aims to deepen cultural ties between Tamil Nadu and Varanasi and to promote national educational goals.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 05:06 (CET).