On the fifth day of Kashi Tamil Sangamam Phase II, nine cultural programmes from Kashi and Tamil Nadu were organized by the North Central Zone Cultural Centre, Prayagraj and South Zone Cultural Centre, Thanjavur, Ministry of Culture, Government of India.

The first presentation came from Kalaimamani Award winner Shri K. Kumaravel and his group, from Tamil Nadu. They used percussion instruments like dholak for their presentation.

The second presentation came from Shri P. Murugan, another Kaimamani Award winner, and his team. They played Naiyandi Melam, a type of percussion instrument that is unique to Tamil Nadu, Kerala and parts of South India.

Shri Abhishek Maharaj of the Banaras Gharana presented his music and was accompanied by distinguished sitar, sarod, flute and tabla players. Shri Ganesh Prasad Mishra and his team were the next to present classical music.

Smt. Abirami Shankar and her team from Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu presented Bharatnatyam. Dr. Ranjana Upadhyay and her team enthralled viewers with their dance performance.

Shri S Sathyan from Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu and his team presented Sakkakuchiyattam, Mankombattam and Thapattam. Shri Balamurugan and his team from Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu presented Periyalam that mesmerized everyone.

The final programme came from Shri V. Nithiya Vijay Kumar who presented Karagam, Kavadi, Oyilattam and Naiyandi Melam, traditional folk dances of Tamil Nadu.

The second phase of the Kashi Tamil Sangamam will continue till 30th December 2023. Last year, the first phase of Kashi Tamil Sangamam was organized from 16th November to 16th December 2022. Nearly 1400 (7 Groups of 200 persons each) people are expected to be travelling from different parts of Tamil Nadu, representing varied walks of life. The first three groups comprising students, teachers, and professionals have already arrived in Varanasi. During their stay in Kashi, as per their tour itinerary, they will also visit Prayagraj and Ayodhya.

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(Release ID: 1989587)