Numerous gifts and mementos received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi are currently under e-auction. The list of items includes a statue of Ram Darbar, a model of the Golden Temple of Amritsar, Kamdhenu, and the souvenir of Jerusalem – all of which have reportedly attracted several bidders. The items will remain available for auction on the PM Mementos website until October 31.
“The program started on October 2, there is time until October 31. A short span of time is left, we expect that no serious buyer is left out and we can prompt a good collection. I want to request all the citizens of the country to make their bids on these pieces and become their rightful owners in these last few days,” Union minister Meenakashi Lekhi told ANI on Monday.
The initiative was first started by PM Modi when he was the Chief Minister of Gujarat and took on a new form after his change of role. Lekhi said that the amount collected during the e-auction is sent to the Namami Gange project.
Data given on the PM Mementos website indicates that the most popular item currently being auctioned is a statue of Lord Laxmi Narayan Vitthal and Goddess Rukmini. The item – presented by the Maharashtra chief minister – has received 47 bids with the price rising from ₹7,000 to ₹15,100.
Another popular item is a statuette of Kamdhenu with a calf that was presented to PM Modi by KRSNA. It has so far received 42 bids and has a quoted price of ₹10,000 (up significantly from the base price of ₹1,300).
The Souvenir of Jerusalem is the third most popular item with 40 bids and a highest quoted price of ₹13,000. The memento is made up of silver 925 and depicts a panoramic scene of Jerusalem city.
Other items on the auction block include the Aranmula Kannadi – an ‘exquisite mirror’ also known as the Travancore Shankh – a ‘Chamba rumal’ with elaborate needlework as well as a pattachitra painting of Lord Jagannath. There are a total of 912 items up for auction, including replicas of the Sun Temple at Modhera, Vijay Stambh of Chittorgarh, and the Golden Temple of Amritsar.
