Irony that Bharat needs to be re-introduced to its people: Tamil Nadu’s Governor

Chennai: It is an irony that people of the country need to be re-introduced to its different types of cultures and traditions, said Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi on Friday. The connection between Varanasi and Tamil Nadu is over 1,000 years old and in Tamil epics like Silapathikkaram and Manimegalai the link has been widely mentioned, the Governor said at an event here. The Governor was making these observations at the curtain-raiser to mark the one-month-long Kashi-Tamil Sangamam scheduled from November 17 in Varanasi. "Even in science and technology, Kashi (Varanasi) and Kancheepuram have been discussed as they were the great centres of astronomical studies," he said.

However, the Governor said it was an irony that the people of India need to be informed about their own country. "It is an irony today that we need to introduce Bharat to our own people," he said and recalled the recent interaction held with postgraduates and doctorates at Raj Bhavan. The students evinced interest to know about the diverse culture. Urging people to participate in large numbers in the Kasi-Tamil Sangamam, he said, 'The Brahmanda Purana says that the Kasi (Varanasi) and Kancheepuram are the two eyes of Lord Shiva."

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The Kashi-Tamil Sangamam is a bold experiment by a bold leader like Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the event has got nothing to do with politics. Director of Indian Institute of Technology-Madras professor V Kamakoti said the event would provide the people of Tamil Nadu an opportunity, especially to those who have not visited Varanasi and surrounding areas to explore and understand the deep academic, cultural and societal relationships between the two places. IIT-Madras and Banaras Hindu University are the knowledge partners for the event which endeavours to bring the deep academic, economic, social and cultural relationships between Kasi and Tamil Nadu, he said.

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