SAURASHTRA TAMIL SANGAMAM – ART AND CULTURE
News:
3,000 people from Tamil Nadu to attend Saurashtra Tamil Sangamam
What's in the news?
● Cast
in the same mould as the Kashi Tamil Sangamam, the 10-day Saurashtra Tamil
Sangamam will see nearly 3,000 people from Tamil Nadu, mostly Gujaratis settled
in the southern State, participate.
Key takeaways:
● Inaugurated
in the presence of Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at Somnath, sacred for the Hindus, the festival aims to showcase
“age-old ties” and cultural links between the two coastal States of Gujarat and
Tamil Nadu.
Logo:
● It
is a representation of the merging of the silk fabric expertise of the Tamil
Saurashtrian people and the textile industry of Gujarat.
● A
young woman, posing in a dancing posture with dandiya (Gujarat)and bharatanatyam (Tamil Nadu), embodies the
coming together of two art forms.
Features:
● People
of Gujarati origin are being brought on a special train, and will visit places
their ancestors came from, and reconnect with pilgrimage destinations such as Somnath, Dwarka, and Porbandar.
● They
will also explore the Gir Forest and the
Statue of Unity in south Gujarat, built in 2018, to pay homage to
Vallabhbhai Patel.
● The
Saurashtra Tamil Sangamam is the second such programme under the ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat’
initiative after the success of Kashi Tamil Sangamam.
Significance:
● This
programme, highlighting the bond between Tamil Nadu and Gujarat, reflects the cultural diversity and strength of India.
● Protecting
our cultural links and heritage is as important as border security, economic
security, food security, social security, and cybersecurity.
○ Border
security is necessary to protect a nation. Similarly, cultural security is also
important to maintain its identity.
Go back to basics:
Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat:
● Ek
Bharat Shreshtha Bharat was announced on the occasion of the 140th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on
31st October (Ekta Divas), 2015.
Objective:
● To
enhance interaction & promote mutual understanding between people of
different states/UTs through the concept of state/UT pairing.
Administrative control:
Ministry of Education
Features:
● Apart
from embracing cultural vibrancy, the scheme focuses on promoting nationalism
and cultural awareness in the country.
● The
Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat Scheme focuses on increasing the cultural exchange between people from different states.
● This
scheme encourages people with diverse backgrounds to come together as a nation.
It aims at enhancing sentimental connections between people from different
regions.
● The
culture, heritage, and traditions of different states are showcased to the
citizens via events and literature to the citizens. The Ek Bharat Shreshtha
Bharat Scheme boosts the sense of common identity among all citizens.
● Under
the Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat Scheme, numerous activities are conducted around
the country to boost national unity. People get to learn about the customs of
other states with the initiatives under the Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat Scheme.
Further Reference: Kashi Tamil Sangamam