New Delhi, December 2 (IANS). Indian Railways is running seven special trains between Kanyakumari, Chennai, Coimbatore and Varanasi to ensure massive participation in the 4th Kashi Tamil Sangamam and further strengthen the cultural ties between the Tamil speaking region and the ancient spiritual center of Kashi. These special trains are scheduled to ensure seamless travel, comfortable long-distance connectivity and timely arrival for people visiting this multi-day cultural event. These services started with the departure of the first train from Kanyakumari on November 29. Following this, an additional special train departed from Chennai on Tuesday. The next departures are from Coimbatore on December 3, from Chennai on December 6, from Kanyakumari on December 7, from Coimbatore on December 9 and from Chennai on December 12. With these planned deviations, a total of seven special trains to Banaras will run from major cities of Tamil Nadu in a streamlined and phased manner. To ensure timely return journey, Indian Railways has arranged several special trains from Banaras. These include trains to Kanyakumari on December 5, Chennai on December 7 and Coimbatore on December 9. Apart from this, additional trains will also run for Chennai on December 11, Kanyakumari on December 13, Coimbatore on December 15 and Chennai on December 17. The fourth edition of Kashi Tamil Sangamam, from Tuesday, continues the long-standing cultural bond between Tamil Nadu and Kashi. This edition focuses on the theme ‘Let’s Learn Tamil – Tamil Karakalam’, promoting linguistic and cultural exchange between the two regions through Tamil teaching initiatives in schools in Varanasi, study tours to Tamil Nadu for students from the Kashi region and the symbolic Rishi Agastya vehicle expedition from Tenkasi to Kashi. Kashi Tamil Sangamam 4.0 reflects the essence of ‘Ek Bharat, Shrestha Bharat’ which encourages people to understand and appreciate rich cultures other than their own. The initiative is driven by the Ministry of Education, with IIT Madras and Banaras Hindu University as key knowledge partners. With the participation of 10 ministries, including Railways, the program brings together students, artisans, scholars, spiritual leaders, teachers and cultural workers from both regions, facilitating the exchange of ideas, cultural practices and traditional knowledge between them. By coordinating this culturally rich travel route through these seven special trains, Indian Railways plays a central role in connecting the diverse regions of the country and strengthening the shared heritage between Tamil Nadu and Kashi. –IANS sc/abm