Somnath: The Ministry of Textiles has organised an exhibition of handloom and handicraft at Somnath and Dwarka, showcasing the exquisite range of handloom and handicraft from the States of Tamil Nadu and Gujarat. The Ministry is also organizing a Chintan Shivir with Textile Industry stakeholders on 21-22 April 2023 at Rajkot, to discuss and deliberate upon various important agendas and topical issues pertaining to the textile industry

The activities are a part of  “Saurashtra Tamil Sangamam”. The ‘Saurashtra Tamil Sangamam’ is organized in close coordination between Central and State Government of Gujarat, supported by various institutions and ministries including the Ministry of Textiles.

The Chintan Shivir  program spread over 2 days shall include 2 expert discussions on (a) exploring opportunities for India in Technical Textile with focus on Home-Tech and Cloth-Tech products and (b) Roadmap for Sustainability & Circularity on 21^st April 2023. Textile Advisory Group (TAG) meetings on cotton and man-made fibres are planned to take place in the afternoon of 22^nd April 2023, followed up with Soft Launch of e-commerce portal of Handloom & Handicraft products.

A population of around 13 lakh Saurashtrian people currently settled in 47 cities/ towns of Tamil Nadu trace their origins to the Gujarat State. The historical accounts mention that the Saurashtrian people, highly adept in variety of tasks in addition to weaving,migrated to Madurai and other cities of the State in large numbers some 400 years ago, owing to upheavals caused by external invasions.

The objective of Saurashtra Tamil Sangamam (STS) organized through various programmes at Somnath, Dwarka and Statue of Unity (Gujarat), during the month of April 2023, is to promote age-old ties and cultural linkages between Saurashtra and Tamil Nadu. The STS is another important milestone event added to the series of events conducted under the Government of India’s ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’ (EBSB) initiative.

The EBSB initiative, guided by the vision of Hon’ble Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi, aims to enhance interaction & promote mutual understanding between people of different States/UTs through the concept of State/UTs pairing. The paired States/UTs carry out engagements with one another in multiple spheres including language, literature, cuisine, festivals, cultural events, tourism, among others.

The Saurashtra Tamil Sangamam is in perfect continuity to the Kashi Tamil Samgamam that took place last year at Varanasi, wherein our Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, reiterated that “Our resolutions in ‘Amrit Kaal’ will be fulfilled by the unity and collective efforts of the whole country” and emphasised on furthering the positive outcomes brought by Kashi Tamil Sangam.

The ‘Saurashtra Tamil Sangamam’ initiative aims to promote the rich cultural heritage of the Saurashtra community living in Tamil Nadu. It will provide a platform for Saurashtrians in Tamil Nadu to connect with their brethren in Gujarat and celebrate their shared traditions and values. PIB