Around 1,400 people from Tamil Nadu will travel to Varanasi, Prayagraj and Ayodhya this winter for Kashi Tamil Sangamam 5.0, which will run from 28 November to 12 December 2026.
Officials reviewed preparations at a high-level meeting at Banaras Hindu University (BHU) on 3 November, chaired by Higher Education Secretary Deepti Gaur Mukerjee. BHU Vice-Chancellor Ajit Kumar Chaturvedi, Uttar Pradesh's Additional Chief Secretary (Higher Education) Amit Kumar Ghosh, and officials from the Education Ministry, the state, the district and Indian Railways attended.
What the meeting covered
Discussions dealt with coordination between departments and districts, dedicated rail arrangements by IRCTC, infrastructure, exhibitions, excursions and cultural programmes. Ministry officials also visited venues, including Namo Ghat, to check readiness.
The programme
The theme of the fifth edition is "Thirukkural Payilvom - Thirukkural Abhyas Karen", and the aim is to bring the ethical teachings of the classical Tamil text Thirukkural closer to young people and learners.
- Seven groups of about 200 people from Tamil Nadu will each make an eight-day journey: four days of travel and four days of visits and programmes.
- Fifty teachers from Tamil Nadu will visit Uttar Pradesh to teach the Thirukkural in schools and colleges.
- A nationwide students' programme will run through 1,000 higher education institutions, with study, research and campus activities.
The web portal and delegate registration were opened by Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on 22 October 2026. The Central Institute of Classical Tamil, Chennai, leads digital outreach and publications, while IIT Madras and BHU are the nodal institutions for Tamil Nadu and Kashi. Details are at kts.cict.in.
Photos
Source: official release by the Ministry of Education, issued through the Press Information Bureau, Government of India (04 NOV 2026 8:06PM by PIB Delhi). Read the full official text: High-Level Meeting at Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi reviews preparations for Kashi Tamil Sangamam 5.0.
How we verified this
VerifiedEvery fact, figure and quotation is taken from the official PIB release (Release ID 2332761) issued by the Ministry of Education on 04 NOV 2026 8:06PM by PIB Delhi; checked against the source on publication. Story written by BDT from that release; no outside facts added.
Sources
- 1.High-Level Meeting at Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi reviews preparations for Kashi Tamil Sangamam 5.0 — Press Information Bureau, Government of India
