PM gifts slice of Indian heritage to G20 leaders

New Delhi, September 12

Kashmiri saffron and pashmina to Kannauj ittar and honey from the Sundarbans, Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifted slices of Indian heritage to G20 leaders.

Hamper for leaders

Gift hamper included Kashmiri saffron and pashmina; Araku coffee, honey from the Sunderbans, Darjeeling and Nilgiris teas, and Zighrana ittar packed into sheesham treasure chests.

The presents featured a gift hamper, comprising Kashmiri saffron and pashmina; Araku coffee from Andhra Pradesh, special honey from the Sunderbans, Darjeeling and Nilgiris teas and Zighrana ittar, tastefully packed into sheesham treasure chests. The curated compilation of handcrafted artefacts and products was meant to reflect Bharat’s rich cultural traditions, government sources said.

The hamper’s hallmark was the Sheeshamwood Sandook with Brass strips hand-crafted using Indian Rosewood. The chest contained saffron from Kashmir, the most exotic and expensive spice in the world; Pekoe Darjeeling and Nilgiri teas, two gems from India’s tea tapestry. Araku Coffee, also in the hamper, is the world’s first terroir-mapped coffee, grown on organic plantations in the Araku Valley of Andhra Pradesh.

The Sundarbans, largest mangrove forests in the world, located on the delta formed by the confluence of Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers in the Bay of Bengal, is home to wild colonies of honeybees. Its special honey mirrors the bio-diversity of the area. Kashmiri Pashmina shawl, among the gifts, has many enchanting stories woven into its fabric. Zighrana Ittar from Kannauj in Uttar Pradesh showcases a centuries-old tradition of exquisite perfume crafting.