New Delhi: More than 1,300 items gifted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi are now available for bidding in the seventh edition of the online auction of PM’s mementoes, which began on Wednesday, coinciding with his 75th birthday. The auction will remain open until October 2, officials confirmed.

High-value artefacts among top items

According to the PM Mementos website, some of the most prized items in this year’s auction include:

  • A finely crafted statue of Goddess Bhavani, with a base price of ₹1,03,95,000.
  • A detailed model of the Ayodhya Ram Temple, with a base price of ₹5.5 lakh.
  • Three pairs of shoes belonging to Paralympics 2024 medallists, each pair priced at ₹7.7 lakh.

These five items are currently in the top bracket by base price, culture ministry officials said.

Cultural and artistic treasures on display

Alongside high-value memorabilia, the auction features gifts from across India’s cultural landscape. Among them are:

  • An embroidered Pashmina shawl from Jammu and Kashmir.
  • A Tanjore painting of Ram Durbar.
  • A metallic Nataraja statue.
  • A Rogan Art piece from Gujarat depicting the Tree of Life.
  • A handwoven Naga shawl.

These items showcase the diversity of India’s handicrafts and artistry, making the auction both a cultural and philanthropic initiative.

Sports memorabilia as a highlight

One of the key highlights of this edition is the sports memorabilia gifted by India’s para-athletes who competed in the Paris Paralympics 2024. Officials said these gifts represent the athletes’ “resilience, excellence, and indomitable spirit,” and have drawn significant interest from bidders.

Funds for Namami Gange

The first edition of the e-auction was launched in January 2019. Since then, thousands of unique gifts received by PM Modi have been auctioned, raising over ₹50 crore in support of the Namami Gange project, the government’s flagship river conservation mission.

The culture ministry said this year’s auction is expected to further boost contributions while giving citizens an opportunity to own memorabilia connected with the Prime Minister and India’s historic milestones.