Neeraj Chopra’s javelin, Lovelina’s boxing gloves and much more: Gifts received by PM Modi to be e-auctioned for Namami Gange Mission

On the occasion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 71st birthday, the Ministry of Culture has organized an e-auction of gifts and mementoes presented to the PM.

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As per a press release issued by the ministry, the auction includes sports gear and equipment of the medal-winning Olympians and Paralympians, a replica of the Ayodhya Ram Mandir, Char Dham shrines, Rudraksh Convention Centre, models, sculptures, paintings, angavastras and 1300 such items. 

The replica of Ayodhya Ram Mandir was presented to the PM by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath whereas a wooden replica of the Chardham was presented by Uttarakhand Tourism Minister Satpal Maharaj.

Reportedly, the auction could fetch over Rs 10 crores, the proceeds of which will go towards the Namami Gange Mission aimed at conserving and rejuvenating the Ganga.

The memorabilia presented by the athletes include, 

1. Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra’s javelin with a base price of around Rs 75 lakh
2. The T-shirt worn by Avani Lakhera with a base price of Rs 15 lakh
3. Javelin thrown by Sumit Antil with a base price of Rs 1 crore
4. Lovlina Borgohain’s boxing gloves with a base price of Rs 80 lakh
5. A stole with signatures of Tokyo Olympic players carries a base price of Rs 90 lakh

“These items are expected to fetch even more during the auction given the euphoria in the country over the performance of the Olympic and Paralympic contingents and we expect people to bid encouragingly for these items,” claimed a senior government official in a statement to News18.

The e-auction will be held virtually in which individuals and organizations can participate through the website https://pmmementos.gov.in starting today till October 7. 

The highest bidders will be notified through emails when the auction ends. As per officials, an upper limit has been set for each bid to prevent fake participation. 

Fourth such auction

This is the fourth such auction since Modi became the Prime Minister in 2014. The previous three were conducted by the Culture Ministry in February 2015, January 2019, and September 14 to October 24, 2019. Under these auction, all the gifts that the PM receives from various politicians, world leaders, institutions and individuals are auctioned and the proceeds are donated.

The last auction conducted in September 2019, had as many as 2,770 objects including paintings, sculptures, shawls, jackets and traditional musical instruments. The proceeds from that auction were also donated to the Namami Gange Mission.