New Delhi : Art works and traditional items reflecting Indian heritage were the gifts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's choice for some of the world leaders at the BRICS summit in Johannesburg. He presented a pair of 'surahi' from Telangana to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, and Nagaland shawl to his wife and the first lady of the host country, officials said.
They noted that the 'bidri vase' is a purely Indian innovation exclusive to Bidar, a Karnataka city. It is cast with an alloy of zinc, copper and other non-ferrous metals. Pretty patterns are engraved on the casting and inlaid with pure silver wire. The casting is then soaked in a solution mixed with special soil of Bidar fort which has special oxidising properties, they noted.
This causes the zinc alloy to turn into a lustrous black leaving the silver inlay intact to contrast stunningly with the black background, they added. The gift also carried silver 'nakkashi', whose patterns are first drawn on paper and then transferred on silver sheets. Naga shawls, they noted, are an exquisite form of textile art that have been woven for centuries by the tribes in Nagaland in the northeastern part of India.