Auction of gifts to PM Modi set to start from today

New Delhi: The Union ministry of culture on Tuesday announced that more than 1,300 gifts received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the past year will be auctioned online in the seventh edition of the Prime Minister’s mementos e-auction. The auction will run from September 17 to October 2, with the proceeds going to the Namami Gange Mission.

Among the objects with the highest base price is a statue of goddess Tulja Bhavani, placed inside a glass frame within a miniature temple structure. The temple design features pillars and motifs, and the note accompanying the object describes it as “representing strength, devotion and spiritual reverence”. The base price is ₹10,39,500.

Sports memorabilia from Indian Paralympians are also listed among the top items. A pair of spike shoes presented by Ajeet Singh, silver medallist in the F46 javelin throw at the 2024 Paris Paralympics, has a base price of ₹7,70,000. Another pair of shoes, presented by Simran Sharma, bronze medallist in the 200m T12 event at the same event, carries the same base price. A third pair, belonging to Nishad Kumar, silver medallist in high jump, is valued at ₹7,70,000.

The fifth highest valued item is a metallic model of the Ayodhya Ram Mandir presented to the Prime Minister by Mukesh Garg and Archit Garg. The model, given a silver finish, shows the sanctum sanctorum, mandapas, staircases and the shikhara with a flag. It carries a base price of ₹5,50,000.

Among the lowest base price items are textiles. These include a red chunri with gold mirrors, listed at ₹600, a saffron angavastra with a lotus emblem at ₹800, and an orange embroidered angavastra at ₹900.

The collection also includes paintings in Pichwai, Madhubani and Pachedi styles, silver filigree work, deity statues, tea sets, a Tanjore painting of Ram Durbar, Rogan art from Gujarat, a Pashmina shawl from Jammu and Kashmir, and a handwoven Naga shawl. Other items include an Ellora temple painting gifted by Maharashtra’s former CM Eknath Shinde and seals from the Rakhigarhi excavation site.

The exhibition of the mementos opened at the National Gallery of Modern Art in Delhi on XXXX. An exhibition note at the NGMA said: “This special exhibition showcases the mementos presented to the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India by citizens, dignitaries, and organizations from across the nation. Each object — be it a painting, sculpture, textile, or artefact— carries within it the spirit of gratitude, respect, and cultural identity of those who offered it. More than mere gifts, these mementos are symbolic of the deep emotional connection between the people and their leader.”

Since its launch, the auction series has raised more than ₹50 crore for Namami Gange — a flagship project of the Centre with the twin objectives of effective abatement of pollution, conservation and rejuvenation of the Ganga. The first edition of the series in 2019 featured 2,772 items and brought in around ₹15 crore, including a painting of Modi with Mahatma Gandhi that received a bid of ₹25 lakh. In 2020, about 1,800 items were auctioned, raising over ₹8 crore. The 2021 auction featured Olympic and Paralympic memorabilia, including Neeraj Chopra’s javelin, which sold for more than ₹1.5 crore, contributing to collections of over ₹8 crore. The fourth edition in 2022 raised nearly ₹8.5 crore, while the 2023 auction reached over ₹11 crore, the highest so far.

The 2024 edition, however, collected around ₹2 crore. Around 600 items were listed that year with base prices ranging from ₹600 to more than ₹8 lakh, but Shekhawat (who) noted that the response was weaker as the exercise coincided with the election season and several items could not be displayed in time.