The online auction of more than 1,200 items started on Saturday and will run until October 2
The online auction of more than 1,200 items started on Saturday and will run until October 2
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s NCC alumni card, several models of the upcoming Ram Temple in Ayodhya and a statue of the mascot of the Chess Olympiad held recently in Chennai are among the highly sought-after items at the an online auction of memorabilia donated to the Prime Minister.
The online auction of more than 1,200 such items, including a Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose model statue and Commonwealth Games sports memorabilia, began on Saturday and will run until October 2.
The auction is conducted through the web portal pmmentos.gov.in and has a section that lists items under “Most Participated Auction”.
Among these wanted items is a souvenir donated by the National Cadet Corps (NCC) in the form of an alumni card displaying the photograph of Mr Modi, ‘Life Member’, year 2021 and ‘Directorate: Guj, DD & DNH’ Alumni card received over 20 offers until around 11am on Sunday.
The auction had gone live at 10am on Saturday morning, coinciding with Mr Modi’s 72nd birthday.
Other items in this category include several models of the forthcoming Ram temple in Ayodhya in various sizes and weights. One such model was presented to the Prime Minister by the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath.
The realistic small-scale wooden model shows Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, placed inside a display case. It is a temple under construction on the site of Ram Janmabhoomi, the birthplace of Lord Rama.
The main construction of the sanctuary rests on a raised platform and has three floors, reads the description of the object on the auction site.
“It has five ‘mandapas’ in the ‘garbhagriha’ which has been diligently crafted on the replica pattern. The model is adorned with several vibrant flowers on all edges and corners of the structure,” he says.
Weighing 6 kg, the dimensions of the model are 45 cm x 41 cm x by 36 cm. The base price of this offered item is ₹10,800. Other Ram temple designs include one weighing 2.5kg covering 46cm x 30cm x 35cm; another weighing 3.2 kg and another model weighing 1.75 kg, according to the auction site.
Many other religious objects, including a metal ‘shankh’ (conch), statues of Lord Ganesha, a trident and a replica of the wooden idol of Tirupati Balaji Maharaj, are also in the ‘Most Participated Auctions’ category. .
“Tirupati Balaji is an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Lord Balaji is depicted as having a ’tilaka’ on his forehead, a ‘shankha’ (conch) on his left shoulder, a ‘chakra’ (disk) on his right shoulder, Bhudevi (Earth Goddess), and Sridevi (Goddess of wealth) to his heart. Her right hand is in Abhay mudra while the left rests on her waist,” reads the description on the auction site.
This was presented to Prime Minister Modi by Andhra Pradesh Governor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan, he said.
The intricately detailed metallic ‘shankh’ is an exquisite item and placed inside a red velvet box.
“The conch shell in relief depicts Lord Vishnu resting on Sheshnag, with Goddess Lakshmi massaging his feet. The upper part of the shell is decorated with floral designs. Vishnu is depicted holding his attributes such as the mace, the lotus, the conch shell while his fourth hand rests on his thigh,” reads his description. At 10cm in length, he weighs 1150g and has received more than 30 bids up to 11am Sunday.
A statue of the official logo and mascot of the Chennai Chess Olympiad 2022 is also among the highly sought-after items in the ongoing auction.
India recently hosted the FIDE Chess Olympiad in Chennai to great fanfare. Its official logo was a chess knight named Thambi.
“He is a chess knight named Thambi and designed in the traditional Tamil attire, saying vanakkam (with joined hands). The name is a symbol of brotherhood and it indicates that we all belong to one brotherhood,” reads- one in its description on the website.
The mascot statue is 31cm tall and weighs 1650g, and received more than 30 bids as of 11 a.m. Sunday.
A mace, an ornate sword, a metal statue of Ashok Stambh and a statue of Nataraja are also in the “Most Participated Auction” category.
A gold-plated miniature sculpture of an elephant with its trunk raised, a wooden chessboard with the 32 brass chess pieces and kept in a briefcase are also part of the auction.
A framed photo showing a mission statement written in English, surrounded by floral borders on each side, with the first letters of the entire line forming the phrase ‘MODIAGAINPM’, and a statue of Mr Modi giving a speech, are also wanted. .
In addition, a white t-shirt autographed by the men’s hockey team that represented India at the Commonwealth Games 2022 and won a silver medal, is also included in this category, with a base price of 3 ₹ lakh, according to the auction site.
