Indian leaders show their respects through their gift exchanges during their visits to foreign nations. The gifts establish diplomatic relations through their function as respectful displays. The US State Department has released a list of gifts given by Indian leaders to American officials in 2024.
Gifts to President and First Lady
Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented multiple gifts to former US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. The gifts include:
- A Sterling Silver Metal Train Set for President Biden.
- A Kashmir Pashmina shawl for former First Lady Jill Biden.
- A Lord Krishna Raas Leela Silver Box for former Vice President Kamala Harris.
- All these items are preserved at the National Archives (NARA).
Other Notable Gifts
Other gifts mentioned in the list include:
- A Nataraja bronze statue from Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to former US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.
- Gifts from National Security Advisor Ajit Doval to former US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.
Prime Minister Modi also presented President Biden with new gifts during their 2023 meeting.
- A sandalwood box.
- A scarf.
- A wooden box containing saffron and tea powder.
- A translated copy of The Ten Principal Upanishads.
The sandalwood box, scarf, and wooden box are preserved at NARA. The US Secret Service disposed of saffron and tea powder because they considered those items to be perishable.
The gifts hold cultural value while remaining part of the official archival material maintained by the US government.
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