IIT Madras unveils registration portal for Phase 2 of the Kashi Tamil Sangamam to be held from Dec 17

People from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry who are interested in the second edition of this Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat programme can apply on the KTS portal (kashitamil.iitm.ac.in) by December 8, 2023, says an IITM release.

The programme aims to revive the bond between Varanasi and Tamil Nadu which were important centres of learning and culture in ancient India. Phase 2 of the Kashi Tamil Sangamam will include an eight-day immersive tour to Varanasi, Prayagraj and Ayodhya and expects around 1,400 people from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry to travel to the destination by train, informed the press release.

They will be divided into 7 groups of around 200 each, comprising students, teachers, farmers and artisans, traders and businessmen, religious, writers, and professionals.  Each group will be named after a sacred river (Ganga, Yamuna, Saraswati, Sindhu, Narmada, Godavari and Kaveri).

The delegates will also get to see places of historical, tourist and religious interest and interact with people of Uttar Pradesh from their domains of work. KTS 2.0 would have a crisper format with emphasis on awareness generation & outreach, people to people connect and cultural immersion. The focus is also on increased engagement and interaction with local counterparts (weavers, artisans, artists, entrepreneurs, writers etc) to get insights into best practices, enhance learning and cross pollination of ideas.

Delegate itinerary includes 2 days onward journey – 2 days return; 2 days at Varanasi and 1 day each at Prayagraj and Ayodhya. Stalls exhibiting art and culture, handlooms, handicrafts, cuisine, and other special products of Tamil Nadu and Kashi will be set up, cultural programmes blending the cultures of Tamil Nadu and Kashi will be organized at Namo Ghat in Varanasi.

During this period there will be academic exchanges – seminars, discussions, lectures on various facets of knowledge like – literature, ancient texts, philosophy, spirituality, music, dance, drama, yoga, Ayurveda, handlooms, handicrafts as well as the modern innovations, trade exchanges, edutech and other gen next technology etc. Apart from experts and scholars, local practical practitioners from the above subjects / professions from Tamil Nadu and Varanasi will also participate in these exchanges so that a body of practical knowledge/ innovations can emerge from the mutual learning in different fields.

Coordinating with other institutions in Tamil Nadu, IIT Madras will organise workshops, seminars and other outreach activities from December 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023, said the institute.

Interested participants from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry can register for the Phase 2 of the Kashi Tamil Sangamam on the KTS portal which was launched by IIT Madras.