What gifts did Indian PM present to US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden?

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is currently on a state visit to the USA. After leading Yoga festivities at the UN headquarters in New York on Wednesday, PM Modi met US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden and exchanged special gifts. While Biden gifted an antique American book gallery from the early 20th century, PM Modi gifted an assortment of different items.

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The Indian PM presented a special sandalwood box to his US counterpart. The box with intricate flora and fauna patterns has been handcrafted by a master craftsman from Jaipur, a major city in the Western Indian state of Rajasthan. The sandalwood used to make the box has been sourced from Mysore, Karnataka.

Significance of the gift

The gift celebrates Biden crossing the threshold of 80 years and eight months. According to ancient Indian textKrishna Yajurveda’s Vaikhanas Grihya Sutram,an individual becomes ‘Drishta Sahasrachandro’ or the one who has seen one thousand full moons when he completes the age of 80 years and eight months.

Since a person crossing this stage of life is celebrated and honoured, an elaborate set of Vedic rituals are performed. During one of the rituals, there is a custom of donations of 10 different kinds. The box carries those items which are usually donated after the ritual.

The box contains an idol of the Indian deity Ganesha, considered the destroyer of obstacles and one who is worshipped first and foremost amongst all gods.

It also has a diya (oil lamp), handcrafted by artisans from the family of fifth-generation silversmiths in Kolkata. A diya is used in every Hindu household. A cotton wick dipped in oil is put inside the lamp and lit up during prayers.

The box also has a copper plate, sourced from the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. In ancient times, the copper plate, also called 'tamra-patra' was used as a medium of writing and record keeping.

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The symbolic donation pieces

Inside the box, there are 10 symbolic pieces of donation items, kept in handcrafted delicate silver boxes. From delicately handcrafted silver coconut to fragrant piece of sandalwood to 'Til' or white sesame seeds sourced from Tamil Nadu - the little boxes have myriad items.

The other items include24K pure and hallmarked gold coin,Ghee or clarified butter, ahandwoven textured tussar silk cloth, long-grained rice, jaggery,99.5 per centpure and hallmarked silver coin and salt from PM Modi's homestate of Gujarat.

Apart from the traditional Hindu gift, PM Modi presentedPresident Biden with a copy of the first edition print of the book, ‘The Ten Principal Upanishads’,published by Faber and Faber of London and printed at the University Press, Glasgow.

Eco-friendly green diamond gifted to FLOTUS

Apart from the thoughtful gift to President Biden, PM Modi presented a lab-grown 7.5-carat green diamond to US First Lady Dr Jill Biden. Using cutting-edge technology, the eco-friendly diamond has been designed to mimic earth-mined diamonds’ chemical and optical properties.

It emits only 0.028gmof carbon per carat and is certified by the Gemological lab, IGI. It bears the hallmarks of excellence through the 4C’s: Cut, Colour, Carat and Clarity.

The beautiful diamond is placed in a papier mâché box known askar-e-kalamdani.Kashmir’s exquisite papier mâché involves sakthsazi or meticulous preparation of paper pulp and naqqashi, where skilled artisans paint elaborate designs.

(With inputs from agencies)

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