The Ministry of Education is set to launch a historic car rally — the Sage Agastya Vehicle Expedition (SAVE) — to highlight the ancient civilisational connection between Tamil Nadu and Kashi. As a flagship initiative under KTS 4.0, the rally will begin in Tenkasi on Tuesday, 2nd December 2025 and travel for nine days before concluding in Varanasi on 10 December.

Around 15–20 cars with nearly 100 participants will join the SAVE car rally, covering a distance of 2,460 km. The initiative pays tribute to Pandiyan ruler Shri Adi Veera Parakrama Pandiyan, whose historic journey from Tamil Nadu to Kashi carried the message of cultural oneness across Bharat. It was during this journey that he built a temple for Lord Shiva and named the region Tenkasi (Dakshin Kashi), symbolising unity and shared civilisational heritage.

The expedition will exhibit educative materials highlighting historical connections and civilisational linkages from the Chera, Chola, Pandya, Pallava, Chalukya and Vijayanagara periods, while promoting awareness of classical Tamil literature, Siddha medicine and shared heritage. Throughout the rally, a specially decorated vehicle equipped with LED displays will showcase classical texts and ancient sites in various Indian languages at designated locations. As the convoy moves forward, the car will be welcomed and felicitated by people across Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

The theme of KTS 4.0, “Learn Tamil – Tamil Karkalam,” underscores the message that every Indian language is part of a single Bharatiya Bhasha family. It seeks to promote Tamil across the country, highlighting our cultural unity while broadening access to the rich knowledge embedded in classical Tamil texts and encouraging their dissemination through other Indian languages.

The fourth edition of KTS 4.0, which is a cultural and educational confluence, is being organised by the Ministry of Education Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Textiles, Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation, along with the Government of Uttar Pradesh. IIT Madras and BHU are the implementing agencies for KTS 4.0

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PK/BBT

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