Australia to America, world leaders cherish exquisite traditional mementoes gifted by PM Modi

New Delhi, Nov 22 (IANS) Having perfectly mastered the art of blending diplomacy with culture over the past one decade, Prime Minister Narendra Modi carried with him several unique gifts that reflected India’s rich cultural heritage during his just-concluded visit to Nigeria, Brazil and Guyana.

According to sources, as he strengthened India’s diplomatic ties with countries from Africa to Latin America, Prime Minister Modi carried with him several specially-curated handcrafted artefacts and products for the foreign leaders.

It included eight items from Maharashtra, five from Jammu and Kashmir, three each from Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan, two from Jharkhand and one each from Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha and Ladakh.

The gifts from Maharashtra included Silofer Panchamrit Kalash (pot) – a stunning example of traditional craftsmanship from Kolhapur – given to Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Adekunle Tinubu; Warli paintings – a tribal art form originating from the Warli tribe primarily located in the Dahanu, Talasari and Palghar regions of Maharashtra – for Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and also as one of gifts in the customised gift hamper given to leaders of Caribbean countries; natural rough amethyst with silver camel head on top from Pune given to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese; hand-carved silver chess set with traditional design given to Portugal PM Luis Montenegro; an exquisite silver candle stand given to Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni and a hand-engraved silver fruit bowl featuring intricate depictions of a peacock and a tree, given to CARICOM Secretary General Carla Natalie Barnett.

Jammu and Kashmir’s vibrant culture was represented through gifts of a pair of papier-mache gold work vases given to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer; Pashmina shawl in papier mache box for the First Lady of Guyana and Kashmiri saffron in the customised gift hamper given to Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders who attended the 2nd India-CARICOM Summit in Georgetown.

The gifts from Rajasthan include a silver photo frame with floral work showcasing the state’s rich heritage of detailed metalwork and traditional motifs given to Argentina’s President Javier Milei; marble inlay work, also known as ‘Pietra Dura’ with base marble sourced from Makrana, given to Prime Minister of Norway Jonas Gahr Store and gold work wooden Raj Sawari figurine, a beautiful representation of traditional Indian craftsmanship, combining intricate gold work with finely carved wood, given to Prime Minister of Guyana, Brigadier (Retd.) Mark Anthony Phillips.

Andhra gifs included silver clutch purse studded with semi-precious stones handcrafted with intricate floral motif designs, given to spouse of Brazilian President of Brazil and Araku coffee, which is grown by indigenous communities in the Araku Valley in Andhra Pradesh, in customised gift hamper given to leaders of CARICOM countries.

Sohrai painting from Hazaribagh – known for depiction of animals, birds, and nature and being a reflection of the agrarian lifestyle and the reverence for wildlife in tribal culture, were given to Vice President of Nigeria; and Khovar painting – a traditional art form that originates from the tribal regions of Jharkhand, given to President of Indonesia Prabowo Subianto, representing the rich cultural diversity of Jharkhand.

Other gifts include finely fretted and engraved silver and rosewood ceremonial photo frame from Uttar Pradesh given to the President of Chile Gabriel Boric; wooden toy train, a signature product from Channapatnaa – a small town in Karnataka, given to younger son of President of Guyana; Tanjore painting from Tamil Nadu, given to French President Emmanuel Macron; a Madhubani painting, also known as Mithila painting, a traditional art form originating from the Mithila region of Bihar, given to President of Guyana Irfaan Ali; a rare and exquisitely crafted filigree boat made of pure silver – a fine example of the centuries old silver filigree art practised in Odisha’s Cuttack, given to Vice President of Guyana; and Ladakhi kettle adorned with semi-precious stones, given to Speaker of National Assembly of Guyana.

Last year, as India concluded the landmark G20 Summit in New Delhi, the visiting leaders received several artefacts – some the product of centuries of tradition and cherished across the world for their unparalleled workmanship and quality – that spoke volumes about India’s rich cultural traditions.

The gift hamper given at that time comprised Sundarban honey, Orange Pekoe tea from Darjeeling and Nilgiri tea, coffee from Araku Valley, saffron from Kashmir valley, different designs of stoles from different states to the G20 first ladies.

–IANS

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