E-auction of over 1200 mementos, gifts presented to PM Modi begins

New Delhi: On the occasion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday, the Union Ministry of Culture on Saturday has started the e-auction of prestigious and memorable gifts presented to Prime Minister Modi.

Commencing today, the fourth edition of the e-auction will be held for two weeks and will conclude on October 2.

"The time has arrived! It's 10 AM and the PM Mementos Auction 2022 is now open and live! Head to https://pmmementos.gov.in to register and participate in the auction in which exclusive gifts received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi have been listed," tweeted Union Culture and Tourism Miniter G Kishan Reddy.

The mementos are displaced at the National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi. These items can also be viewed on the website also. This year approximately 1200 mementos and gift items have been put on e-auction.

Mementos in the auction include exquisite paintings, sculptures, handicrafts and folk artefacts. Several of these are items customarily offered as gifts, such as traditional angavastrams, shawls, headgears and ceremonial swords. Other memorabilia of interest include replicas and models of the Ram Mandir at Ayodhya and the Kashi-Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi. We also have an exciting section of sports memorabilia.

According to the Ministry, team India's stellar performance at the Commonwealth Games 2022, the Deaflympics 2022 and Thomas Cup Championship 2022 earned the country a place in history and a rich haul of medals. There will be an auction of the memorabilia presented by the teams and winners of the sporting events. There are 25 new sports memorabilia in this edition of the auction.
Union Minister G Kishan Reddy said Narendra Modi is the first ever Prime Minister of India, who has decided to auction all the gifts he receives for a noble cause of conserving the lifeline of the country- the river Ganges through Namami Gange.

The display area is now open to the public and is free for all. To make the visit even more enjoyable, guided tours in general and guided tours in sign language for the hearing impaired have been arranged. Catalogues in braille are also made available for the visually challenged.

The funds raised through the auction will contribute to a worthy cause, the Namami Gange Programme, the flagship project that seeks to conserve and rejuvenate the National River, Ganga.

The general public can participate in the e-auction by logging in and registering on https://pmmementos.gov.in.