Modi Gifts BRICS Leaders Gond Painting, Bidri Vase, and Nagaland Shawl

As a gesture of cultural exchange, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented BRICS leaders with special gifts, including exquisite Gond paintings from Madhya Pradesh, colorful shawls from Nagaland, and meticulously crafted Bidri vase from the state of Telangana.

While South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was given a pair of Bidri vases, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva received Gond paintings, and the first lady of South Africa, Tshepo Motsepe, received a shawl from Nagaland.

Sputnik brings you a sneak peek of the gifts and how they highlight the rich art and tradition of India.

Gond Paintings are one of the most admired tribal art forms, and originated from Pardhan Gonds, the indigenous people of Madhya Pradesh state.

Gond paintings, crafted with meticulous dots and lines, exude an exquisite radiance, vibrant hues, and an inundation of colours. They embrace the profound belief that seeing a good and happy image brings lots of good luck and positivity.

The Gond community people decorate the walls of their homes and floors with these traditional and folklore motifs using natural colours and materials like charcoal, coloured soil, plant sap, leaves, cow dung, limestone powder, and others.

A Bidri Surahi (vase) is said to be an Indian innovation of a 500-year-old Persian masterpiece exclusive to Bidar, Telangana.

The Bidri work of Surahi is a meticulously crafted masterpiece, using a fusion of zinc and copper alloy as its base metal. Pretty patterns are engraved on the casting and inlaid with pure silver work to embellish the surface.

The casting is then soaked in a solution mixed with the special soil of the Bidar Fort, which has special oxidizing properties.

This causes the zinc alloy to turn black, leaving the silver inlay intact to contrast with the black background.

Nagaland shawls are an exquisite form of textile art and serve as a powerful symbol of Naga culture, tradition, and heritage.

These magnificent shawls have been intricately woven by tribes in the state for centuries, preserving and displaying the rich cultural legacy of Nagaland.

Made from locally sourced materials like cotton, silk, and wool using traditional weaving techniques, these shawls exhibit vibrant colours and intricate geometric designs and patterns.