Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday gifted the Russian translation of the classical Tamil text “Thirukkural” to President Vladimir Putin, in continuation with his past practice of showcasing Tamil literature and culture on the global stage.The first time PM Modi invoked Tamil pride internationally was during his address at the 74th Session of the UNGA in New York, where he quoted Tamil poet Kaniyan Pungundranar to emphasise the Indian tradition of universal brotherhood.Even after that, PM Modi during his state visit to Malaysia in February 2026, in a connection with the vast Indian diaspora of Tamil roots there, invoked the glory of Tamil culture.The “Thirukkural”, a 1,330-couplet anthology, is a treatise on commoners’ morality and a well-known text on everyday wisdom.Even in the political sphere, PM Modi has continued to woo Tamilians despite the ruling BJP’s near-negligible electoral footprint in the southern state.He proposed the famous Tamil-Kashi Samagam — as a cultural bridge between Tamil Nadu and his own Lok Sabha constituency of Varanasi.The event facilitates an exchange between cultural influencers of the north and south India and remains an important pillar of PM Modi’s “Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat” vision.One of the important bridges ths Tamil-Kashi Samagam helped reveal is the invocation of Kashi in pre-wedding rituals among tamil Brahmins.Called the Kashi yatra, the playful ritual is about the groom pretending to give up worldly desires and retire to Kashi and the bride’s father urging him to stay and marry his daughter.