HomeIndia NewsPM Modi’s carefully chosen gifts to world leaders reflect India’s rich culture, diversity

PM Modi’s carefully chosen gifts to world leaders reflect India’s rich culture, diversity

PM Modi gifted his Japanese counterpart a hand-carved box with Rogan painting on Tuesday

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By CNBCTV18.com May 25, 2022, 3:48:47 PM IST (Published)

PM Modi’s carefully chosen gifts to world leaders reflect India’s rich culture, diversity

Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifted Japanese PM Fumio Kishida a wooden hand-carved box with Rogan painting during their meeting on Tuesday in Tokyo, Japan. The craft was nearly lost in the 20th century, with Rogan painting being practised by only one family. It is an art of cloth printing practised exclusively in the Kutch District of Gujarat. The paint is prepared with boiled oil and vegetable dyes, which is applied to the fabric using metal blocks (printing) or stylus (painting).



In his visits around the world, PM Modi has shared some distinctive gifts that reflect India’s rich and diverse culture.


Here is a look at some of these unique gifts


1. US Vice President Kamala Harris

Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his US visit in 2021 presented Vice President Kamala Harris with a copy of old notifications related to her grandfather PV Gopalan in a wooden handicraft frame. He also gifted her a gulabi meenakari chess set with intricate details. The details highlight the craftsmanship and the bright colours reflect the vibrancy of Kashi, one of the oldest cities in the world.


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2. Former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison

During the same US visit, at a bilateral meet, PM Modi gifted a silver gulabi meenakari ship to then Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison. The ship reflects Kashi’s dynamism and is distinctly handcrafted.


3. Former Japanese PM Yoshihide Suga

In his 2021 US trip, PM Modi gifted his Japanese counterpart Yoshihide Suga a sandalwood Buddha statue. Buddhism in Japan has been practised since the sixth century and it plays a major role in bringing India and Japan together.


4. The Danish Royals

On a three-day tour to Germany, Denmark and France earlier this month, PM Modi presented silver meenakari bird figure from Varanasi to Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, a Dokra boat from Chhattisgarh to Crown Prince Fredrik of Denmark and a Rogan painting from Gujarat to Queen Margrethe II of Denmark.


5. Former Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu

On his trip to Israel in 2017, PM Modi had gifted former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu replicas of two sets of relics from Kerala, which are regarded as key artefact of the long Jewish history in India. They are believed to have been inscribed in 9-10th Century.


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6. The Queen of England

In his first meeting with Queen Elizabeth II of the UK, PM Modi had gifted her award-winning Darjeeling tea from Makaibari tea estate in West Bengal along with some fine organic honey from Jammu and Kashmir. He also presented her with tanchoi stoles that are a specialty of Varanasi.


7. Former President of Iran Hassan Rouhani

During his meet in 2018, PM Modi gifted the Iranian President Dr Hassan Rouhani specially commissioned reproductions of Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib’s collection of poetry in Persian, Kulliyat-e-Farsi-e-Ghalib. He also gifted him Sumair Chand’s Persian translation of the Ramayana.


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