Starting tomorrow, nearly 1,500 mementos presented to Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be available for bidding in the eighth edition of the Prime Minister’s Mementos e-Auction. This online auction will provide a unique opportunity for the public to acquire items with historical significance.
It added that the mementos represent India’s “artistic traditions, traditional craftsmanship, cultural practices, spiritual traditions and sporting achievements. These include a silver memento of Lord Ram from Karnataka with a base price of Rs 13.50 lakh, a silver replica of the Kakatiya Kala Thoranam with a base price of Rs 9 lakh, a framed Tree of Life Gond art painting priced at Rs 7.50 lakh, a Jagannath Parivar on Chariot with a base price of Rs 6 lakh, and a 99.99 fine gold-plated framed Radha Krishna artwork with a base price of Rs 5.40 lakh. Earlier reporting noted: PM Mementos e-auction: 1,498 gifts to go under the hammer from September 17 The ministry of culture will launch the eighth edition of the PM Mementos e-auction on September 17, putting up 1,498 gifts received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for public bidding. Earlier reporting noted: According to figures shared by the ministry in Parliament, the auction, first held in January 2019, has since raised more than ₹ 52 crore. The single largest sale remains Neeraj Chopra’s Tokyo Olympics javelin, which fetched ₹ 1.5 crore in 2021.
The eighth edition also features 50 identified “Hero Objects”, described by the Culture Ministry as some of the distinctive pieces in the collection. States such as West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Assam, Bihar and Odisha account for the larger share of the collection, the ministry said.
Earlier reporting noted: The items have been sourced from across the country.
Online Auction Supports Ganga Conservation
An online auction for PM Mementos will take place on the official portal, allowing participants to bid on unique items. Prior to the bidding, an exhibition at the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) in New Delhi will showcase these objects for public viewing. The NGMA is responsible for managing the documentation and operational aspects of this initiative.
Funds raised from the auction will be directed to the Namami Gange Programme, which focuses on rejuvenating and conserving the Ganga River.
