Pandya warriors fought to reclaim Kashi temple from Mughals: Vice-Prez

Rameswaram: When Mughals destroyed the Kashi temple, a large number of warriors from Tamil Nadu and the Pandya kingdom went to fight to reclaim the sacred land, Vice-President C P Radhakrishnan said in Rameshwaram on Tuesday. Addressing the valedictory function of ‘Kashi Tamil Sangamam 4.0, he said this was the true history but many were unaware of it. "Similarly, when a slur is cast upon our country and our dharma, everyone must unite and fight," he said."Are we against Tamil by saying ‘Long live this nation?' No! Just as our nation is one eye, our mother tongue, Tamil, is the other eye; no one can change that," Radhakrishnan said. The VP said it was the inseparable relationship between Kashi and Rameswaram that prompted PM Modi to hold the inauguration of Kashi Tamil Sangamam in Kashi and the valedictory ceremony in Rameswaram. The dream envisioned by Bharathi is being fulfilled by the PM's vision and sharp visionary schemes. Recalling ‘Mann Ki Baat' broadcast on Nov 30, he recalled Modi mentioning that ‘Tamil culture is noble, Tamil language is sublime and one of the prides of India.' and that the PM provided this beautiful scheme of learning Tamil through Kashi Tamil Sangamam."Do you know what one of the greatest glories of the city of Kashi is? When that temple faced a difficult situation, the honour of carrying necessary puja items there every day was given to the Nattukottai Chettiars of Tamil Nadu," he added. Governor R N Ravi, who spoke entirely in Tamil, said the Kashi -Rameswaram connection existed for thousands of years, dating back to the time of Lord Rama. He said devotion to Lord Shiva is a central culture of the Tamil people. "As part of Kashi Tamil Sangamam, 300 students came here from Kashi to learn Tamil. No one else did as much for the popularity of the Tamil language and the pride of Tamil culture as Prime Minister Narendra Modi did," he added.Minister L Murugan said Kashi is mentioned in Ramayana, Mahabharata, and ‘Kurinji thinai' of Sangam literature. Over the past few years, Thirukkural was translated into more than 35 languages. Prime Minister Modi is establishing cultural centres for Thiruvalluvar all over the world. Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan said "Kashi Tamil Sangamam 4.0 is a civilizational initiative, whose intent is to strengthen the emotional and cultural unity of the nation by reconnecting people with India's living tradition. BJP state president Nainar Nagenthran, and IIT Madras director V Kamakoti also spoke. Cultural programmes including Mangala Vathiyam, Shiva Vathiyam, and Thirupugazh Isai Vazhipadu were conducted during the event, symbolising the connection between Kashi and Tamil. A documentary titled ‘Kashi Tamil Sangamam Journey' was telecast on the occasion.