On June 21, US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden welcomed PM Modi at the White House. The camaraderie between leaders was visible as they were seen laughing and engaged in conversation during the warm welcome.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on his first state visit to the US gifted a handcrafted sandalwood box with ‘das danam’ to US President Joe Biden and a lab-grown green diamond to First Lady Jill Biden.
The gifts were exchanged during the private dinner hosted by Joe Biden and Jill Biden for PM Modi at the White House.
PM Modi’s gift to President Joe Biden
The special sandalwood box presented to US President Joe Biden has been handcrafted by a master craftsman from Jaipur, Rajasthan. The sandalwood sourced from Mysore, Karnataka has intricately carved flora and fauna patterns.
Ancient Indian text Krishna Yajurveda’s Vaikhanas Grihya Sutram mentions that an individual becomes ‘Drishta Sahasrachandro’ or the one who has seen one thousand full moons when he completes the age of eighty years and eight months.
The life spanning one thousand full moons or ‘Sahasra Poorna Chandrodayam’ is considered to be an important milestone in the Hindu way of life. The gap between two full moons is about 29.53 days, so the time span covered by a thousand full moons would be approximately 29530 days or 80 years and 8 months.
At this stage of life, the individual (who has seen one thousand full moons) is honoured and celebrated for the sheer experience of human life. An elaborate set of Vedic rituals are performed such as Vinayak Pooja- prayers to Lord Ganesha, culminating in Poornaahuti (oblation to the scared fire) Satabhishekam and finally Sahasra Chandra Darshanam or gazing at the 1000th full Moon.
During Sahasra Poorna Chandrodayam celebrations, there is a custom of Das Danam or donations of ten different kinds, that include – Gaudaan (cow), Bhudaan (land), Tildaan (sesame seeds), Hiranyadaan (gold), Ajyadaan (ghee or clarified butter), Dhaanyadaan (food grains), Vastradaan (clothes), Guddaan (jaggery), Raupyadaan (silver) and Lavandaan (salt).
On this occasion, a special gift which symbolises following rituals has been presented as a special gesture by the Prime Minister to President Biden. A special sandalwood box has been handcrafted by a master craftsman from Jaipur, Rajasthan. The sandalwood sourced from Mysore, Karnataka has intricately carved flora and fauna patterns.
Sandalwood carving in Rajasthan is an ancient art that has been handed down from generation to generation. The artisan has skillfully embedded a piece of his story and a touch of passion into this work to produce a piece of finest craftsmanship.
The box contains the idol of Ganesha, Hindu deity considered as the destroyer of obstacles and the one who is worshipped first among all gods. Every auspicious occasion begins with prayers to Lord Ganesha. This silver idol of Ganesha has been handcrafted by a family of fifth generation silversmiths of Kolkata.
A diya (oil lamp) occupies a sacred space in every Hindu household where daily prayers are offered by lighting cotton wick dipped in oil. This silver diya has also been handcrafted by artisans from the family of fifth generation silversmiths in Kolkata.
The copper plate, also called tampra-patra has been sourced from Uttar Pradesh. A shloka has been inscribed on it. In ancient times tamra-patra was widely used as a medium for writing and record keeping.
The handcrafted delicate silver boxes contain symbolic – Das Danam or the ten donations, which signifies the donations made on this occasion.
● A delicately handcrafted silver coconut by the skilled artisans of West Bengal is offered in place of a Cow for Gaudaan (donation of cow).
● A fragrant piece of sandalwood sourced from Mysore, Karnataka is offered in place of land for Bhudaan (donation of land).
● Til or white sesame seeds sourced from Tamil Nadu, offered for Tildaan (donation of sesame seeds).
● Handcrafted in Rajasthan, this 24K pure and hallmarked gold coin is offered as Hiranyadaan (donation of gold).
● Ghee or clarified butter sourced from Punjab is offered for Ajyadaan (donation of clarified butter).
● A handwoven textured tussar silk cloth sourced from Jharkhand is offered for Vastradaan (donation of cloth).
● Long grained rice sourced from Uttarakhand are offered for Dhaanyadaan (donation of food grains).
● Gud or Jaggery sourced from Maharashtra is offered for Guddaan (donation of jaggery).
● This 99.5 per cent pure and hallmarked silver coin has been aesthetically crafted by Rajasthan artisans and is offered as Raupyadaan (donation of silver).
● Lavan or salt from Gujarat is offered for Lavandaan (donation of salt).
PM’s gift to US first lady Dr. Jill Biden
PM Modi gifted a lab-grown 7.5-carat green diamond to US First Lady Jill Biden.
The Diamond reflects earth-mined diamonds’ chemical and optical properties. The Diamond is also eco-friendly, as eco-diversified resources like Solar and wind power were used in its making.
The Green Diamond is sculpted with precision and care using cutting edge technology. It emits only 0.028 grams of Carbon per carat and is certified by the Gemological lab, IGI. It bears the hallmarks of excellence through the 4C’s: Cut, Colour, Carat and Clarity.
It is a beacon of responsible luxury that symbolises India’s 75 years of freedom and sustainable International relations.
Papier mâché – It is the box in which the Green Diamond is placed.
Known as kar-e-kalamdani, Kashmir’s exquisite Papier mâché involves sakthsazi or meticulous preparation of paper pulp and naqqashi, where skilled artisans paint elaborate designs.
A confluence of timeless tradition and craftsmanship, it excludes opulence and intricate motifs and graceful simplicity, which makes every piece of this timeless craft, a masterpiece.
It is indeed, an embodiment of India’s vibrant cultural tapestry.
Joe Biden, Jill Biden and PM Modi enjoyed a musical tribute to the regions of India, performed by youth dancers from Studio Dhoom, a DMV-based Indian dance studio that helps connect a new generation to the vibrant culture of Indian dance, according to the White House.
Prior to PM Modi’s visit to the White House, PM Modi met Gary E Dickerson, the President and CEO of Applied Materials, Sanjay Mehrotra, President-CEO of Micron Technology and H Lawrence Culp Jr, Chairman and CEO, of General Electic and CEO of General Electic Aerospace.
PM Modi, who arrived in Washington DC on June 21, started his day by attending the ‘Skilling for Future’ event where he said that India and the United States partnership will serve as the driving engine behind sustainable and inclusive global growth.
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