Items reflecting India's rich and diverse heritage and showcasing distinctive traditions of its various regions were chosen by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as his gifts to various dignitaries from Nordic nations that he met during his three-day tour to as many European countries.
Official sources said Mr. Modi gifted a rogan painting, an art of cloth printing practiced in Gujarat's Kutch, to Danish queen Margrethe; a silver meenakari bird figure from Banaras to Crown Princess Mary; and a brass tree of life from Rajasthan to his Finland counterpart.
He presented a dhaal with koftgiri art from Rajasthan, and a wall-hanging with Kutch embroidery, to the Prime Ministers of Norway and Denmark, respectively, while giving a pashmina stole in a papier mache box from Jammu & Kashmir to his Swedish counterpart. The PM gifted a dhokra boat from Chhattisgarh to Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark, sources said, noting these products are in great demand in domestic and foreign markets because of their simplicity, enchanting folk motifs, and forceful form. Dhokra is a non-ferrous metal casting craft using the lost-wax casting technique, something in use in India for over 4,000 years.
