Over 1,400 delegates from TN, Puducherry attend 14-day event
The sangamam, which was aimed at rediscovering the age-old links between Tamil Nadu and Kashi – two of the country’s ancient seats of learning, concluded on Saturday
Representative image (Photo: Dailythanthi)
CHENNAI: Musical performances at the Ghats of the Ganga in Uttar Pradesh enthralled those attending the Kashi Tamil Sangamam, with narrations celebrating the legacy of Lord Ram.
The sangamam, which was aimed at rediscovering the age-old links between Tamil Nadu and Kashi – two of the country’s ancient seats of learning, concluded on Saturday, weeks ahead of the ‘Pran Prartishtha’, or the consecration ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
Over 1,400 delegates from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, besides people from Varanasi and culture enthusiasts from different parts of country, participated in the 14-day event. More than 42,000 people had registered till December 8 to attend the sangamam, of which 1,400 were selected by a committee.
The delegates also visited Ayodhya and the under-construction temple there. They were divided into groups (200 members each) named after seven sacred rivers – students’ group (Ganga), teachers’ group (Yamuna), professionals’ group (Godavari), spiritual group (Saraswati), group of farmers and artisans (Narmada), writers’ group (Sindhu) and group of traders and businessmen (Kaveri).
Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently unveiled a ‘new look old’ city in Ayodhya with an airport, a revamped train station and projects worth Rs 15,700 crore ahead of the consecration next month. The first phase of the temple is nearing completion, and the PM will participate in the ceremony on Jan 22.
K Venkata Ramana Ghanapati, trustee at the Kashi Vishwanath temple, stated that the excitement in Varanasi about the consecration ceremony was palpable. “Generations have waited for this. I’ll be travelling to Ayodhya during that time to participate in some rituals a few days ahead of the ceremony,” he added.
