Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a three-day official States visit, gifted US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden a unique sandalwood box, a 7.5-carat green diamond, and a book about the Upanishads, as he reached Washington where he was hosted by the Bidens for a private dinner on Wednesday.
The gifts highlight the value and respect Indian tradition associates with experience, officials said.
Here's what Modi presented to the Bidens and the traditional significance they entail.
1. Sandalwood Box
One of Modi’s gifts to the Bidens was an intricately-carved box made of sandalwood, handmade by a Jaipuri craftsman with sandalwood from Karnataka. The box contained items that represent India’s culture, including a statue of Ganesh, the ‘remover of obstacles’, and the deity who is invoked at the beginning of all Hindu prayers. The box also had a diya (an oil lamp) in it, made by fifth-generation artisans from Bengal. Other gifts inside the box included a copper plate with a shloka engraved on it, a silver coconut (the coconut is a replacement for a cow, which is a traditional donation), South Indian sesame seeds, a 24-carat gold coin handcrafted in Rajasthan, and a handwoven silk cloth from Jharkhand, among various other things from different Indian states. The contents of the box feature items from across India, and gift the Bidens a piece of our culture.
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2. ‘The Ten Principal Upanishads’
The Prime Minister also gifted Joe Biden a book titled ‘The Ten Principal Upanishads’, written by Shri Purohit Swami and Irish poet W.B. Yeats. Biden has always expressed his adoration for Yeats’ poetry and made references to his work in his speeches. Yeats was an ardent admirer of Indian culture and spirituality, so a first-edition copy of the poet’s collaboration with Shri Purohit Swami would make a good gift for Joe Biden.
3. Lab-Grown Diamond
Narendra Modi gave personalised gifts to the First Lady, Jill Biden, as well, one of these being a lab-grown 7.5-carat green diamond made in India with earth-mined minerals and environment-friendly resources like wind and solar energy. Officials have described the diamond as “a beacon of responsible luxury that symbolises India’s 75 years of freedom and sustainable international relations”. The green diamond emits not more than 0.028 grams of carbon per carat and is certified by the Gemological Lab.
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4. Papier Mache Box
The green diamond was enclosed within a beautiful papier mache box, skilfully painted by artisans on paper pulp. Originating in Kashmir, the papier mache box or ‘kar-e-kalamdani’, was decorated with motifs and floral illustrations in the style typical to Kashmir’s heritage.
The Bidens gave Narendra Modi gifts as well, including a vintage camera, a book on wildlife photography, and a first-edition signed copy of a book of poems by Robert Frost.
Modi arrived in Washington from New York where he led a historic event at the UN headquarters earlier in the day to commemorate the 9th International Day of Yoga, attended by UN officials, diplomats and prominent personalities.
