New Delhi: Kashmiri saffron, a hand-inlaid marble chess set from Agra, black tea from Assam, a handcrafted silver horse figurine from Maharashtra were among the gifts presented to Russian President Vladimir Putin Friday as he wrapped up his two-day state visit to India.
The gifts, curated to represent India’s diversity and offering a little slice of the country’s eclectic craftsmanship, geography and culture, were handed over ahead of the banquet hosted by President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan in Putin’s honour.
The Assam Black Tea led the collection. GI-tagged since 2007, the tea represents the land and culture along the Brahmaputra.
Then there was an ornate Murshidabad silver tea set with intricate engravings reflecting Bengal’s storied metalwork tradition. The embellished crockery is also meant to represent the shared tea culture of India and Russia associated with “warmth and connection”, according to sources.
A handcrafted silver horse from Maharashtra was also presented as a token to Putin. The gift was a symbol of “dignity and valour celebrated in both nations”. The horse also depicted the “forward-moving” and “ever-advancing” spirit of the two countries.
Putin also received a hand-inlaid marble chess set from Agra, crafted under the ODOP (One District One Product) initiative, representative of the stone inlay and motif artistry prevalent along the Hindi belt.
The gift list also included Kashmiri saffron. The “red gold” locally known as Kong or Zaffran is GI-protected and cultivated in the Kashmir Valley’s highlands.
The selection was rounded off with a Russian translation of the Bhagavad Gita for its “timeless wisdom on ethical living, mind control, and inner peace”.
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)