New Delhi, Feb 18 (IANS) The spirit of Kashi Tamil Sangamam – a cross country cultural celebration – continues to echo across the world as Indian missions in several countries are hosting events to spotlight the age-old links between Tamil Nadu and Kashi and the grand cultural confluence that is taking place in Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi from February 15.
The Indian Embassy in Cambodia organised a seminar on Tuesday to highlight the contribution of Sage Agastya to Indian traditional medicine and Tamil literature on the occasion of the third edition of Kashi Tamil Sangamam (KTS).
Several members of the Indian diaspora in Cambodia, including Tamil Sangam members, attended the event held in Phnom Penh.
Sage Agathiyar, also known as Agastya, is a well-known sage in Hindu mythology. He is famous for his wisdom, spiritual teachings, and contributions to Indian culture. He helped bring together the cultures of North and South India. He is also famous for his work in Siddha, the ancient Indian system of medicine. He is considered as the Father of Tamil literature and it is believed that he compiled the earliest book on Tamil grammar called Agathiyam.
The High Commission of India in Kuala Lumpur along with the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Indian Cultural Centre, also held an event to mark the inauguration of KTS 3.0.
High Commissioner B.N. Reddy welcomed the gathering and shared that KTS 3.0 aims to rediscover and strengthen the centuries-old connection between the two ancient knowledge centres of the country, Kashi and Tamil Nadu. He also urged the Tamil diaspora in Malaysia to join the Kashi Tamil Sangamam 3.0 at Varanasi, in large numbers.
Nedunchelian Vengu and Vaidyar Sanjay Kumar Ramachandran delivered speeches on the theme of KTS 3.0 ‘Contribution of Sage Agasthiyarin the field of Classical Tamil Literature and Grammar, and Contribution to the Siddha System of Medicine’ respectively, and were felicitated on the occasion.
The event was attended by about 100 members including representatives of various community associations, members of PEPTIM – that represents the practitioners of Traditional Indian Medicine in Malaysia – and media representatives.
The Consulate General of India in Houston, in collaboration with diaspora organisations, also hosted a special event on the occasion of Kashi Tamil Sangamam 3.0 on February 16. The event featured a panel discussion on ‘Sage Agastya’s Contributions – Work, Wisdom & Influence’, with insights from Naga Ganesan, Thangavel Vijayalakshmi, Rajesh Garga, and Soundar Jeyabal, the Consulate detailed in a social media post.
A large number of Indian-American community members attended, making it a successful and engaging gathering.
The prestigious cultural initiative is being organised by the Ministry of Education in collaboration with various ministries and the Government of Uttar Pradesh. The KTS seeks to provide an opportunity for scholars, students, philosophers, traders, artisans, artists and people from other walks of life from the two regions to come together, share their knowledge, culture and best practices and learn from each other’s experience.
“Kashi Tamil Sangamam begins. A celebration of the timeless civilizational bonds between Kashi and Tamil Nadu, this forum brings together the spiritual, cultural and historical connections that have flourished for centuries. It also highlights the spirit of ‘Ek Bharat, Shrestha Bharat’. I do urge all of you to be a part of Kashi Tamil Sangamam 2025!” Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X while urging everyone to be part of Kashi Tamil Sangamam 2025.
–IANS
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