From Upanishads to Green Diamond: List of gifts exchanged between Bidens and PM Modi

President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden presented several valuable gifts to Prime Minister Modi during their meeting.

New Delhi: US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden warmly welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the White House in Washington, DC, on Thursday. They exchanged pleasantries and posed for photographers before entering the president’s residence. PM Modi arrived in Washington, DC, today on the second leg of his official state visit. At the White House, the dignitaries were treated to a captivating musical tribute that highlighted the diverse regions of India. This mesmerizing performance was delivered by talented young dancers from Studio Dhoom, an Indian dance studio in the DMV area, which aims to bridge the generation gap and promote appreciation for the rich and vibrant Indian dance culture.

As an official gift, US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will present Prime Minister Modi with a handcrafted antique American book galley from the early 20th century. President Biden will also present Prime Minister Modi with a vintage American camera accompanied by an archived facsimile print of… pic.twitter.com/OeYWYpXUQp

— ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2023

What President Joe Biden, First Lady Prime Minister Modi gifted

President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden presented several valuable gifts to Prime Minister Modi during their meeting. According to a White House statement, the President and the First Lady presented the Prime Minister with an antique American book galley from the early 1900s.

This book galley is a unique handmade piece. President Biden also presented Prime Minister Modi with a vintage American camera, accompanied by a facsimile print from the archives of George Eastman’s patent on the first Kodak camera and a hardback book of American wildlife photography. In addition, as part of the official gifts, First Lady Jill Biden presented the Indian Prime Minister with a signed copy of the first edition of ‘Collected Poems of Robert Frost’.

This is what Prime Minister Modi gifted US President Joe Biden, First Lady

After receiving precious and antique gifts from President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, Prime Minister Modi responded by presenting valuable items to both dignitaries. The Prime Minister presented the US First Lady with a 7.5-carat lab-grown green diamond, which exhibited similar chemical and optical properties to diamonds from mines.

The diamond is particularly environmentally friendly, as eco-diversified resources such as solar and wind energy were used in its creation. This shimmering stone represents responsible luxury and symbolizes India’s 75 years of freedom and enduring international relations. The diamond was placed in a papier-mâché box known as kar-e-kalamdani, a fine craft from Kashmir in which paper pulp and beautiful naqqashi paintings are carefully prepared by skilled artisans.

#WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi met US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden at the White House in Washington DC and exchanged gifts with them. pic.twitter.com/kac0i1u9ZN

— ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2023

In addition, Prime Minister Modi presented a special sandalwood box to the US president, carefully handcrafted by a master craftsman from Jaipur, Rajasthan. The sandalwood used in the box is sourced from Mysore, Karnataka and features intricately carved flora and fauna patterns.

Inside the sandalwood box is a Lord Ganesha idol, crafted by a fifth generation silversmith family from Kolkata. Lord Ganesha is revered as the remover of obstacles and the main deity to be worshipped. The box also contains a silver oil lamp, another sacred item in Hindu households, also made by the same silversmith family in Kolkata.

In addition, the box presented to the US president contains ten donations, each representing a symbolic gift. These include a delicately handcrafted silver coconut offered in lieu of a cow for Gaudaan (donation of a cow), fragrant sandalwood representing land for Bhudaan (donation of land), white sesame seeds for Tildaan (donation of sesame seeds), a 24K pure and hallmarked gold coin for Hiranyadaan (donation of gold), a 99.5% pure and hallmarked silver coin made by craftsmen from Rajasthan for Raupyadaan (donation of silver), and Lavan (salt) from Gujarat, presented for Lavandaan (donation of salt) .

Finally, Prime Minister Modi presented President Biden with a first edition of the book “The Ten Principal Upanishads”, published by M/s Faber and Faber Ltd of London and printed at the University Press Glasgow. The book is an important work because it contains an English translation of the Indian Upanishads co-written by Shri Purohit Swami and WB Yeats, one of Yeats’ last works in the 1930s.

Today, Modi has a private engagement at the White House, where he will be hosted by the Bidens for an intimate dinner. This special meeting takes place one day before the long-awaited state dinner. US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval will join them, adding to the significance of the occasion.