After Kashi-Tamil Event, Government Gears up For Saurashtra-Tamil Sangamam

The central government is working towards hosting another programme to celebrate civilisational linkages in India following the success of Kashi-Tamil Sangamam held last year.

Called Saurashtra-Tamil Sangamam, the initiative will celebrate the historical connection between Saurashtra and Tamil Nadu by honouring the small linguistic minority of Saurashtra people whose ancestors left their homes near the Kathiawar peninsula four centuries ago and settled across Tamil Nadu at the start of mediaeval India.

There are over 12 lakh Saurashtra people in Tamil Nadu, of which five lakh are in Madurai alone, followed by 1.5 lakh in Chennai, and the rest in Dindigul, Paramakudi, Salem, Kumbakonam, Thanjavur, Tirunelveli, Trichy and other places, according to government estimates.

The details of the programme are being worked on with the government of Gujarat, those in the know of the matter said.

The program, which is modelled after the Kashi-Tamil Sangamam, is expected to bring around 3,000 people from the community to present-day Saurashtra in April. They are scheduled to visit temples in Somnath and Dwarka, Madhavpur, where Lord Krishna is believed to have married Rukmini; Bhalka Tirth, where he is believed to have left his body; Sasan Gir, the home of the Asiatic lion; and the cities of Bhavnagar, Rajkot, and Porbandar—the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi, among others.

Many historical papers say that from 500 to 1,000 A.D., Saurashtrians, mainly Sun worshippers, lived in Mandsaur and Dasapura towns of the old Saurashtra province, which included portions of present-day Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra, and they were mainly engaged in spinning and weaving garments. Known as "Pattavayahs" or weavers of silk clothes, the early settlers in the community set up silk-weaving guilds, and their descendants are concentrated in Madurai.

Oral history and records say that the southward flight of this community was triggered by frequent Muslim invasions, most notably by Mahmud of Ghazni. After the fall of the Somnath Temple at the hands of Ghazni, many members of the community fled and lived in places such as Devagiri before moving to the Vijayanagar Empire at the invitation of the king to weave fine silk garments.

During the reign of Madurai Nayak Kings, the community was given accommodations around Trichy, Tanjore, Kumbakonam, and Salem. Music composer and disciple of saint Thiagaraja, Venkataramana Bhagavathar, freedom fighter NMR Subbaraman, also known as Madurai Gandhi, Sangu S Ramayyar, who translated the Thirukkural into the Saurashtra language, actor Vennira Aadai Nirmala, among others, are some famous people who trace their ancestry to the community.

Apart from the ministries of culture and education, universities in Thanjavur, Saurashtra, and Junagadh will be roped in to curate the programme to get the delegates to experience and understand the linkages between Tamil Nadu and Saurashtra in various fields, including art, sculpture, cuisine, heritage, commerce, culture, and education. Exhibitions to showcase textiles and handlooms, artisans' meetings, business events, debates, and sporting events are also being planned.

During the recent national executive meeting of the BJP, PM Narendra Modi specifically talked about the Kashi-Tamil Sangamam and underscored the need for such programmes to celebrate the strong cultural unity of India. Such programmes are being held to foster an understanding of our shared heritage and to strengthen the people-to-people bonds between the regions, according to those in the know.