Confluence of cultures of Kashi and tamilnadu

Confluence of cultures of Kashi and tamilnadu

Subject : Art and Culture

Context: A sterling example of this is the month-long “Kashi-Tamil Sangamam”, which will culminate on December 16 in the world’s oldest living city — Kashi, also known as Varanasi.

Concept:

• Kashi is the cultural capital of India whereas Tamil Nadu and Tamil culture are at the centre of India’s antiquit
• Kashi’s glory has been restored as the global centre of spiritualism and culture. There is (Thenkasi) Dakshin Kashi in Tamil Nadu
• “Kashi-Kanchi” in the “Sapta Puris” (the seven holy pilgrimage sites in Hinduism), Pilgrims take a journey from Baba Vishwanath Dham in Kashi to Lord Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu.
• Both Kashi and Tamil Nadu are the birthplaces and ‘karma bhoomi’ (workplace) of the greatest acharyas of Indian spirituality. Kashi is the land of devotees of saint Tulsi, while Tamil Nadu is the land of Saint Thiruvalluvar
• Banaras Hindu University established the Subramania Bharathi Chair in honour of the great freedom fighter who lived in Kashi for a very long time.
• In June 1897, Bharathi was hardly fifteen when his marriage took place, and his child-bride was Chellammal.  Bharathi left for Benaras which was also known as Kashi and Varanasi. He spent there the next two years with his aunt Kuppammal and her husband Krishna Sivan. Speedily gaining a fair knowledge of Sanskrit, Hindi and English, he duly passed with credit the Entrance Examination of the Allahabad University. The Banaras stay brought about a tremendous change in Bharathi’s personality. Outwardly, he sported a moustache and a Sikh turban and acquired a bold swing in his walk.
• About 3,000 years ago, a great poet of India, whose name was Kaniyan Poongundranar, wrote in Purananuru Tamil, which is the most ancient language of the world: “Yaadhum oorae, yaavarum kaeleer’”(we belong to all places, and we belong to everyone). This sense of belonging beyond borders is unique to India.Kaniyan Poongunranar, also Poongundranar or Pungundranar was an influential Tamil philosopher from the Sangam age from around 6th century BCE.
• There is a tradition of remembering 12 Jyotirlingas from ‘Saurashtre Somanatham’ to ‘Setubandhe tu Ramesham’ after waking up in the morning. We start our day by remembering the spiritual unity of the country. People recite mantras while taking bath and worshipping. This will strengthen the tradition and heritage of thousands of years and make it the thread that unites the country

Tamilnadu and Kutch

• It is said that hundreds of years ago a large population from the Kutch-Saurashtra region migrated to Tamil Nadu.
• A large number of Gujarati-origin people live in Madurai and other parts of Tamil Nadu.Saurashtrians maintain a predominant presence in Madurai, a city, also known as ‘Temple City’ in the southern part of Tamil Nadu.
• Their migration to Southern India owes to the forays and desecration of the Somnath temple triggered by the frequent Muslim invasions, most notably by Mahmud Ghazni.
• It is believed that the Saurashtrian population is anywhere between one-fourth and one-fifth of the city’s total population.
• After the fall of Vijayanagar empire they were welcomed by the Nayak Kings of Thanjavur during mid 16th century CE and Madurai during 17th century CE and were allowed to settle near the Thirumalai Nayakkar Palace.
• The mother tongue of Saurashtrians is Saurastra.They form the linguistic minority in Tamilnadu.
• The early settlers in Tamil Nadu were engaged in silk weaving, they were called
• These people are first mentioned as Pattavayaka, the Sanskrit equivalent of Patnūlkarar in the Mandasor (present day Madhya Pradesh) inscriptions of Kumaragupta I belonging to the 5th century CE.
• hey are also mentioned by the same name in the Patteeswaram inscriptions of Thanjavur belonging to the mid 16th century CE and in the inscriptions of Rani Mangammal of Madurai belonging to the 17th century CE
• Sourashtram people have adopted Tamil and are veering  away from their ancestors’ strict vegetarianism.