PM Modi's gifts to Kamala Harris, Australian PM bring world's attention to Varanasi.....

 PM Modi's gifts to Kamala Harris, Australian PM bring world's attention to Varanasi.....

Prime Minister Narendra Modi brought the world's attention to his parliamentary constituency when he gifted US Vice-President Kamala Harris a chess set made of pink enamel, known as 'gulabi meena', from Varanasi on Thursday. PM Modi also gifted a souvenir of the same material, a ship, to Australian PM Scott Morrison.

The gifts were made by Kunjbihari, a resident of the Gaighat area of Varanasi, who had received the President's Award earlier for his craft.

Kunjbihari told India Today that he was informed on September 19 about PM Modi's plan to take the chess set and ship made by him to the US. He had gone to Delhi Central Cottage Industries to hand over all the gifts. He came to know later that the souvenirs made by him were gifted to the US VP and Australian PM. PM Modi had also taken a Vrikshasan from Kunjbihari which was gifted to a VIP in the US.

The chess set made of pink enamel. (Photo: India Today/Roshan Jaiswal)

Kunjbihari explained that the craft with pink enamel was a very difficult job. It is done only on silver and gold and the color is made from metal oxide. The pink color is prepared by mixing sandalwood oil with gold. This art came to India during the Mughal period.