First train departs for Kashi Tamil Sangamam-Phase II from Dr MGR Chennai Central
Three coaches designated for Kashi Tamil Sangamam delegates carried the first group of delegates, with the remaining coaches being available for the general public to board.
Governor RN Ravi flagged off the train carrying delegates to Kashi Tamil Sangamam at the Chennai Central railway station on Friday. (Hemanathan M)
CHENNAI: RN Ravi, Governor of Tamil Nadu flagged off the journey of the first contingent of 216 delegates for Kashi Tamil Sangamam-Phase II from Dr MGR Chennai Central on Friday. They departed by Train No.06101, Dr. MGR Central- Varanasi Special Train at 10.45 hrs for the event which was held from 17th to 30th December, 2023. In commemoration of Kashi Tamil Sangamam-Phase II, a book titled, Tamizhar Marappil Kashi (Kashi as etched on the Tamil mind), published by the Central Institute of Classical Tamil, was released by the Governor along with the dignitaries.
Three coaches designated for Kashi Tamil Sangamam delegates carried the first group of delegates, with the remaining coaches being available for the general public to board.
Seven pairs of special trains have been announced by Southern Railway to make it easier for Tamil Nadu delegates to attend the second Kashi Tamil Sangamam. Trains from Dr. MGR Chennai Central (3 services), Kanyakumari (2 services), and Coimbatore Jn. (2 services) will operate the trains. The second service of Kashi Tamil Sangamam Special train to Varanasi will commence from Kanyakumari on Saturday.
During the flag-off function of #KashiTamilSangamam Phase II, Governor released the book titled “Kashi as Etched on the Tamil Mind,” published by the Central Institute of Classical Tamil. pic.twitter.com/Bike0Yk6zv
— RAJ BHAVAN, TAMIL NADU (@rajbhavan_tn) December 15, 2023
A government of India effort, Kashi Tamil Sangamam 2.0 is based on the idea of "Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat." A platform for the sharing of spiritual and intellectual ideas, the event is a tribute to the shared cultural bonds between Tamil Nadu and Kashi. Banaras Hindu University (BHU) and IIT Madras are the program's implementing organisations. The delegates are selected from a variety of backgrounds, including those of students, teachers, farmers, professionals, artists, business owners, and academics.
The first edition of Kashi Tamil Sangamam was held in November-December 2022. A total of 2592 delegates were facilitated by various trains from Southern Railway to Varanasi. Southern Railway provided 36 coaches in 12 Mail/Express services for the delegates bound for Varanasi from Tamil Nadu.
