'Somnath And Rameswaram, Narmada And Vaigai Rivers United By Saurashtra Tamil Sangamam' Says PM Modi In Concluding Speech

Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually addressed the concluding session of the 10-day-long Saurashtra Tamil Sangamam today (26 April).

Speaking about the Sangamam which was organised to celebrate the cultural links between Gujarat and Tamil Nadu that has been formed by the large Saurashtra Tamil community, he said that the event had given a few thousand people the opportunity to come back to the land of their roots and rediscover their heritage.

Referring to Sardar Patel, PM Modi said that he would be showering his blessings on us looking at the programmes being organised to celebrate the unity of the country during Amrit Kaal.

Continuing to give examples, he said that the event had brought together the deities of Somnath and Rameswaram, Dwarka and Madurai, the Narmada and Vaigai rivers and the dance forms of Dandiya and Kolattam.

He later released a book titled 'Saurashtra Tamil Sangamamprashastih' by Shree Somnath Sanskrit University.

The community is believed to have migrated in the 11^th century CE due to the repeated attacks of Mahmud of Ghazni on Gujarat. They were mostly silk traders and weavers.

Almost half of the estimated 12 lakh population of the community in the state is settled in Madurai due to the patronage of local rulers like Tirumala Nayak.

The community speaks the Saurashtra language which has words similar to Gujarati. The language also has its script but its usage has declined.

Some of the famous Saurashtra Tamils are TM Soundararajan, a Tamil playback singer and NMR Subbaraman, a freedom fighter, popularly known as ‘Madurai Gandhi.’

Also Read: In Pictures: The Saurashtra Tamil Sangamam