On April 26th, 2023, Wednesday, The closing ceremony of Saurashtra Tamil Sangamam will be addressed by the Prime Minister of India at 10:30 am via video conferencing. This confluence of 10-day witnessed around 3000 Saurashtrian Tamil who came to Somnath with the help of a special train. The event commenced on April 17th, while the closing ceremony will now be held at Somnath. The cultural confluence of West India and South India is celebrated by the Saurashtra Tamil Sangamam. 

For the last 1200 years, an event of this much magnitude had not taken place, for the first time it’s happening. The origin of the event lies in the thought process of Narendra Modi of encouraging the soul of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat through several initiatives and programs which bring out and rediscover the age-old links between the people in different parts of the country, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office. The vision of recognizing the shared culture as well as rich heritage between TamilNadu and Gujarat takes forward by this event.

 The Kashi Tamil Sangamam was even organised earlier with the same vision. It has been observed that many people relocated to the state of Tamil Nadu from the region of Saurashtra for decades. This gives the opportunity to many Saurashtrian Tamil to reconnect with their roots and to be back at their native places, said a statement by the Prime Minister’s office. “As the milestone #STSangamam begins, my best wishes to the participants. The relationship between the Saurashtra region in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu is ancient and a strong one. May this Sangamam uplift the cultural linkages and the soul of Ek Bharat, Shrestha Bharat” tweeted by the official handle of PM of India.

Through this event, for the first time Saurashtrian, who settled in the state of Tamil Nadu, are returning to their native lands. The historical significance of Gujarat and Tamil Nadu can be measured by the fact that Lord Shiva resides in Somnath (Gujarat’s coastal lines) as well as Lord Ram resides in Rameshwaram (Tamil Nadu’s coastal lines). Both the States named Gujarat and Tamil Nadu occupy a central place considering their rich nature as well as heritage.