Govt likely to auction PM Modi’s gifts at national gallery this month
NEW DELHI: Liked the turban the Prime Minister sported at a recent event? Or the shawl he was gifted? Well, here’s your opportunity to own them.
The National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) in New Delhi may this month auction gifts and mementos received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the proceeds from the auction will be used for a noble cause, according to Union culture minister Mahesh Sharma.
Proceeds of the auction will go to Namami Gange, a mission undertaken by the Union Government for conservation and rejuvenation of the Ganga river.
The more than 1,800 items on offer include paintings, photographs, ‘pagadis’(turbans), shawls, sculptures and other gifts given to the Prime Minister.
There will be a physical auction that can spread over two days followed by an e-sale of three days.
NGMA, which functions under the ministry of culture, maintains galleries for permanent display and also organises special exhibitions of art. In October last year, NGMA had organised an exhibition of the gifts given to Modi.
“We have proposed to have an auction of the gift items presented to our Prime Minster by the various individuals and organisations in the country. The money collected will go for a noble cause. Our plan is to have the auction within next 10-15 days,” minister Sharma said.
A similar auction was held in Gujarat in 2015 with the proceeds going to Namami Gange.
The reserve price of most items is ₹500. A website featuring the gifts is likely to go live soon.
“This is a great initiative. More importantly, the money will be used for a noble cause,” said Siddhartha Tagore director, Art Deal Auction House.