PM Modi Gift: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his way to Johannesburg for the BRICS summit and thereafter to Greece, preferred artefacts and traditional items that reflect Indian heritage and culture to be presented to the world leaders he would meet during his visit to Greece. Officials said the prime minister presented a ‘surahi’ made of the famous ‘Bidri art’ of Telangana to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and a traditional Nagaland shawl to his wife and the first lady of the host country.
‘Bidri Art Vase’ a purely Indian innovation
He said that this ‘Bidri Art vase’ is a purely Indian innovation, which is a specialty of Bidar, a city near Mysuru in Karnataka. It is made of a mixture of zinc, copper and other non-ferrous metals. Beautiful mosaic is engraved on it with pure silver stars. He said that after this the casting is soaked in a mixed solution prepared from the special soil of Bidar Fort, which has special oxidizing properties. He said that this turns the zinc alloy into a shiny black color and the silver mosaic looks very beautiful with the black background.
Silver carving in gift
This gift also had silver ‘nakashi’, the patterns of which are first drawn on paper and then transferred to silver sheets. He said that the Naga shawl is an exquisite form of textile art that has been woven for centuries by the tribes in Nagaland in the northeastern part of India. These shawls are known for their vibrant colours, intricate designs and use of traditional weaving techniques. Officials said each Naga shawl tells a unique story, reflecting the tribe’s history, beliefs and way of life. Narendra Modi gifted a Gond painting from Madhya Pradesh to Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
Gond painting is one of the most popular tribal art work.
Officials said that Gond paintings are one of the most popular tribal artifacts. He said that these paintings, made by dots and lines, have been a part of the pictorial art on the walls and floors of the Gond community. Prime Minister Modi presented the famous Dora artwork of Chhattisgarh to the Prime Minister of Greece. Officials told that this is an art form of prehistoric period of India. One of the earliest expressions of this ancient art is the dancing girl, whose artwork was found in the excavations of Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa.
Presented a shawl from Meghalaya to the wife of the Prime Minister of Greece
Prime Minister Modi presented a Meghalaya shawl to the wife of the Prime Minister of Greece. The history of shawls of Meghalaya is centuries old. These were originally woven for the Khasi and Jaintia royalty. These shawls were associated with the power and prestige of the royal family. He told that these shawls were worn on special occasions and festivals and the designs engraved on them and the vibrant colors used in them reflected the wealth and prestige of the royal houses.