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PM showers world leaders with gifts from Gujarat, Himachal as G20 summit ends
Modi presents US president Joe Biden with a ‘Kangra miniature painting’ from Himachal Pradesh.
Prime minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday presented US president Joe Biden with a Kangra miniature painting from Himachal Pradesh on conclusion of the 17th G20 summit in Indonesia's Bali. Named for a former princely state now part of Himachal, the Kangra school - which blends romantic love with bhakti mysticism - emerged after refugee Mughal painters were inspired by themes from Jayadeva Bihari and Keshav Das' love poetry.
Modi also presented gifts to other world leaders at the G20 summit that finished today.
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He gave Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez a Kanal brass set from Himachal's Mandi and Kullu districts; the gift included traditional musical instruments.
Italy's new prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, was given a scarf - a Patan Patola dupatta - handwoven by the Salvi family from northern Gujarat. The scarf was made with a technique called 'double ikat' that gives it a multi-colour look; clothes using the 'double ikat' technique are traditionally only made in two countries apart from India - Japan and Indonesia.
Gujarat is Modi's home state and is scheduled to hold an Assembly election next month.
Meloni wasn't the only leader to receive a gift from Gujarat; British prime minister Rishi Sunak got a 'Mata ni Pachedi' artifact that is a form of textile art produced by the Vaghari community.
France's Emmanuel Macron - who hosted Modi to lunch on Wednesday - got an agate bowl from Gujarat's Kutch. Singapore's Lee Hsien Loong and Germany's Olaf Scholz got similar gifts.
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Modi gave Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese a piece of ritualistic tribal folk art called 'pithora' that was created by Rathwa artisans from Chhota Udaipur in Gujarat.
The art is similar to Aboriginal dot painting by Australia's indigenous communities.
