Tamil Sangam: Saurashtra migrants in TN invited to revisit their roots

The minister said residents who fled from Somnath, Prabhas-Patan and Veraval first settled in Vijay Nagar empire in present day Maharashtra and later migrated to Tamil Nadu in 1500 AD on the invitation of King of Madurai.

“Today they are spread over 47 towns, including Madurai, Kumbakonam, Tiruchirapalli, Salem and Thanjavur. Despite the passage of 1,000-odd years, they have preserved their Saurastriain identity. The architecture of their homes, marriage ceremonies, bhajans, yagnas and other culture continue to reflect Saurashtrian culture,” Patel said adding that a delegation of ministers from Gujarat visited Tamil Nadu recently and invited them for “Saurashtra-Tamil Sangamam” or meeting to be held from April 17 to 27.

“In 2005 and 2006, then chief minister Narendra Modi held meetings with Saurashtra University officials to re-establish contact with this group in Tamil Nadu. In 2010, Modi visited Madurai and organised a Saurashtra Sangam where more than 50,000 people took part,” he added.

The minister pointed out that the residents of north-eastern states have been invited for the Madhavpur Mela in Gujarat since 2016.

“Rukmini (wife of Lord Krishna) was from there (north-east),” the minister added. Ministers who were part of the delegation that visited Tamil Nadu also spoke about their experiences in the state.