New Delhi: Hailing the cultural bond between Kashi and Tamil Nadu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said Kashi and Tamil Nadu are the "timeless centres of our culture and civilisation" while inaugurating the "Kashi-Tamil Sangamam" in his parliamentary constituency in Uttar Pradesh.
The objective of the month-long event is to "celebrate, reaffirm and rediscover the age-old links between Tamil Nadu and Kashi -- two of the country’s most important and ancient seats of learning."
At the event, the PM lamented that despite having one of the world’s oldest living languages, Tamil, "we lack in honouring it fully" and said it is the responsibility of 130-crore Indians to preserve the legacy of Tamil and enrich it.
Tamil Nadu is one of the southern Indian states where the BJP faces stiff competition from Dravidian parties, including the incumbent DMK, and has a small electoral presence. The saffron party is trying aggressively to increase its organisational base ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
On Saturday, the UP government appointed the first Tamil origin trustee K. Venkat Ramana Ghanapati to the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust.
"Kashi and Tamil Nadu both are timeless centres of culture and civilization. Both regions are the centres of the oldest languages, Sanskrit and Tamil," said Mr Modi, who reached Varanasi for the event in traditional Tamilian attire.
The Prime Minister said it is the responsibility of 130 crore Indians to preserve the legacy of Tamil and enrich it. "If we ignore Tamil we do a great disservice to the nation and if we keep Tamil confined in restrictions, we will do great harm to it. We have to remember to remove linguistic differences and establish emotional unity," Mr Modi said.
In his address, the Prime Minister said both Kashi and Tamil Nadu are home to Lord Shiva. "In Kashi, we have Baba Vishwanath, while in Tamil Nadu, we have the blessings of Lord Rameshwaram. Both Kashi and Tamil Nadu are 'Shivmay' (drenched in the devotion of Lord Shiv) and 'Shaktimay' (drenched in the devotion of Goddess Shakti)," said the PM, adding that both regions have been a source of art, music and culture.
Underlining the age-old connection between the two regions, Mr Modi said, "Even today, the relevance of Kashi Yatra comes up during the traditional Tamil marriage procession."
He asserted that there is an unending love for Kashi from Tamil Nadu, which signifies the feeling of "Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharatitya", which was the "way of life of our ancestors".
Noting the contribution of Tamil icons in Kashi, the PM cited Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan, who was the vice chancellor of BHU, vedic scholar Rajeshwar Shastri and Pattaviram Shastri, who lived in Kashi.
The PM also cited Kashi Kaam Koteshwar Panchayatan Mandir, a Tamilian temple on the banks of Harishchandra Ghat, the 200-year-old Kumarswamy Matt band and the Markande Ashram on the Kedar Ghat in Kashi.
The PM also mentioned poet and revolutionary Subramania Bharathi, who lived in Kashi for many years and talked about the chair dedicated to him at the BHU. The PM also mentioned Swami Kumar Guruvar, who got Kedareshwar Mandir constructed in Kashi.
The PM congratulated the ministry of education and the UP government and thanked IIT Madras and BHU for the event, which will likely be attended by more than 2,500 delegates from Tamil Nadu.
UP governor Anandiben Patel, chief minister Yogi Adityanath, Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan, among others, shared the dais with the PM. Music maestro and Rajya Sabha member Ilayaraja also performed at the event.
