An array of gifts and mementoes owned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to be auctioned in Delhi on Tuesday, September 17, which also marks his 74th birthday. The articles to be auctioned include sports shoes and other items of Paralympic medallists, a replica of the Ram temple as well as a silver veena, all with a base price of Rs 1 lakh to 8 lakh. Union Minister of Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said the base price of all the items, over 600 in number, totals around Rs 1.5 crore.
The e-auction will be held at the National Gallery of Modern Art. It will be an “extraordinary collection [that] mirrors India's rich tapestry of culture, spirituality, history, and politics”, Shekhawat said.
The funds generated through this auction, the sixth such exercise since 2019, will be donated to the Namami Gange Project, which is meant to clean the River Ganga and restore, conserve and protect its fragile ecosystem. Shekhawat said the funds will support “this worthy cause, strengthening our commitment to preserving our environment”. He urged people to participate in the e-auction since “it will serve a noble purpose contributing to public welfare”.
The auction will start on September 17, and will end on October 2. Individuals who wish to participate can do so through https://pmmementos.gov.in/.
The culture minister said that some of the highest-priced items in this year's auction are encased sports shoes of Paralympic bronze medallists Ajeet Singh and Simran Sharma, and silver medallist Nishad Kumar, as well as a signed cap of silver medallist Sharad Kumar, all of which have a base price of Rs 2.86 lakh. The badminton rackets used by Paralympic bronze medallist Nithya Sre Sivan and fellow shuttler Sukant Kadam, and the discus of silver medallist Yogesh Khatuniya, are priced at Rs 5.50 lakh.
The model of the Ram Temple has been priced at Rs 5.50 lakh, a peacock statue is valued at Rs 3.30 lakh, a statue of Ram Darbar at Rs 2.76 lakh, and the silver veena at Rs 1.65 lakh.
The cheapest items include cotton angavastrams, caps and shawls, all priced at Rs 600 each.