The online auction of over 1,200 items began on Saturday and will continue till October 2.
The online auction of over 1,200 items began on Saturday and will continue till October 2.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s NCC alumnus card, several models of the upcoming Ram temple in Ayodhya and a statue of the mascot of the recently held Chess Olympiad in Chennai are among the items that are in high demand. In the online auction of souvenirs gifted to the Prime Minister,
The online auction of over 1,200 items, including a model statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and sports memorabilia from the Commonwealth Games, began on Saturday and will continue till October 2.
The auction is being conducted through the web portal pmmementos.gov.in and has a section which lists the items under the head ‘Most Participated Auctions’.
Among the items sought are a memento given by the National Cadet Corps (NCC) in the form of an alumnus card displaying the photograph of Shri Modi, ‘Life Member’, the year 2021 and ‘Directorate: Gujarat, DD & DNH’ . More than 20 bids have been received till around 11 am on Sunday.
The auction went live at 10 am on Saturday, the occasion of Mr Modi’s 72nd birthday.
Other items in this category include several models of the upcoming Ram temple in Ayodhya in different dimensions and weight. One of these models was presented to the Prime Minister by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Realistic, small-scale wooden models of the Ram temple in Ayodhya are encased in a glass case. It is a temple being built at the place of Ram Janmabhoomi, the birthplace of Lord Rama.
The main construction of the sanctuary is based on a raised platform and has three floors, reads the description of the item on the auction website.
“The sanctum sanctorum has its five ‘mandapas’ which have been diligently designed on the replica model. The model is decorated with many vibrant flowers on all sides and corners of the structure,” it says.
Weighing 6kg, the model’s dimensions are 45cm x 41cm x 36cm. The base price of this gift item is ₹ 10,800. Other Ram Mandir models include one that weighs 2.5 kg that stretches by 46 cm x 30 cm x 35 cm; According to the auction website, another model weighs 3.2 kg and another model weighs 1.75 kg.
Several other religious items including a metal ‘Shankha’ (conch), Lord Ganesha’s idol, Trishul and a replica of a wooden idol of Tirupati Balaji Maharaj are also in the ‘Most Participating Auction’ category.
“Tirupati Balaji is an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Lord Balaji is depicted as Tilak on the forehead, conch shell on the left shoulder, Chakra on the right shoulder, Bhudevi (goddess of the earth) and Sridevi (goddess). of wealth) in his heart. His right hand is in abhaya mudra while the left rests on his waist,” reads the description on the auction website.
It was presented to Prime Minister Modi by the Governor of Andhra Pradesh, Biswa Bhushan Harichandan, it says.
The elaborately detailed metallic ‘conch’ is an exquisite item and is housed inside a red velvet box.
The raised conch depicts Lord Vishnu resting on Sheshnag, with Goddess Lakshmi massaging his feet. The upper part of the shell is decorated with floral motifs. Vishnu holding qualities like mace, lotus, conch Shown while his fourth hand rests on his thigh,” reads its description. Spanning 10cm in length, it weighs 1150 grams and has received over 30 bids till 11am on Sunday.
A statue representing the official logo and mascot of the Chess Olympiad in Chennai 2022 is also one of the highly sought-after items in the ongoing auction.
India recently hosted the FIDE Chess Olympiad in Chennai with much fanfare. Its official logo was a chess knight named Thambi.
“It is a chess knight named Thambi and is called Vanakkam (with folded hands) in traditional Tamil attire. The name signifies brotherhood, and indicates that we all belong to one fraternity,” reads its description on the website.
The idol of the mascot is 31 cm high and weighs 1650 grams, and has received over 30 bids till 11 am on Sunday.
A mace, an ornate sword, a metal sculpture of the Ashoka Pillar and a statue of Nataraja are also in the ‘Most Participating Auction’ category.
A gold-plated miniature of an elephant with its trunk raised up, a wooden chess board containing 32 chess pieces made of brass, and housed inside a briefcase, are also part of the auction.
A framed photograph showing a mission statement written in English, surrounded by borders of flowers on each side, with the initials of all lines forming the phrase ‘MODIAGANPM’ and a statue of Mr. Modi giving the speech, is also being sought. ,
Additionally, a white T-shirt autographed by the men’s hockey team that represented India at the Commonwealth Games 2022 and won the silver medal is also in the category with a base price of ₹3 lakh, according to the auction website.