Copenhagen [Denmark]May 4 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who ended her visit to Denmark on Wednesday, presented gifts to leaders in the Nordic countries that reflected India’s rich cultural diversity, its deep ties to modern nature, its fighting traditions, age-old craftsmanship and exquisite craftsmen. .
The Prime Minister embarked on a three-day visit to European countries on 2 May. He visited Germany and Denmark and will have a stopover in Paris.
The gifts to the dignitaries from various Indian states included a Silver Meenakari bird figure from Banaras to Crown Princess Mary, a Dokra boat from Chattisgarh to Crown Prince Fredrik and a Rogan painting from Gujarat to Queen Margrethe II of Denmark. The Prime Minister had bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Denmark, Iceland, Finland, Sweden and Norway in Copenhagen and also participated in the second India-Nordic summit on Wednesday.
The art of varnishing silver practiced in Benaras (Varanasi) is almost 500 years old. Art has its roots in the Persian art Meenakari (Meena is the Persian word for glass). The most distinctive element of Banara’s meenakari is the use of pink in different shades on different products. The base is a silver plate, which is attached to a metallic base.
The plate fixed to the base mold is easily beaten to get a suitable shape on the mold. The preliminary product is removed in a spliced form from the mold and skillfully joined together. On this, a design is processed with a metal pen. ‘Meena’ is ground to a fine powder and mixed with pomegranate seeds in water. Then it is fixed on different parts of the product with a flat metal tool called ‘qalam’. The finished product is decorated with semi-precious stones and pearls.
The Rogan painting, donated by PM Modi to Queen Margrethe of Denmark, is an art of printing fabric practiced in Kutch, Gujarat. In this craft, paint made from boiled vegetable oil paints is applied to the fabric with either a metal block (print) or a pencil (painting).
The process of making Rogan’s painting is very laborious and skillful. Artists put a small amount of this color paste in their palms. At room temperature, the color is gently turned into motifs and images using a metal rod that never comes in contact with the fabric. The craftsman then folds his patterns into a blank cloth and thereby prints his mirror image.
The Dokra boat from Chhattisgarh, donated to Crown Prince Fredrik of Denmark, is casting of non-ferrous metals using the casting technique for lost wax. This type of metal casting has been used in India for over 4,000 years and is still used.
There are two main processes for lost wax casting: solid casting and hollow casting. The product of artisans who mainly come from central and eastern India are in high demand in domestic and foreign markets due to their primitive simplicity, enchanting folk motifs and powerful shape.
The brass tree of life from Rajasthan, which Prime Minister Modi donated to his Finnish counterpart Sanna Marin, symbolizes the development and growth of life. The branch of a tree grows and develops upwards and contains different life forms that represent inclusion.
This handmade decorative artwork for the wall showing the “Tree of Life” is made of brass and is an example of India’s excellent craftsmanship and rich tradition. The root of the tree represents the connection with the earth, leaves and birds represent life and the place of light represents light.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store received a “Dhaal” with Koftgiri art from Rajasthan by Prime Minister Modi.
Tarkashi (Koftgiri) on metal is a traditional art in Rajasthan, India as a way to decorate weapons and armor. Today, it has been redirected to the decoration of objects such as picture frames, drawers, sticks and decorative swords, daggers and war accessories such as shields. Koftgiri is the inlay plant with silver and gold threads.
Koftgiri craft is intended to enrich the surface of the metal from which the article is made. The base metal is a mixture of three types of iron (soft, hard and high). The layers of these three types of iron are hammered until they are completely mixed and a base metal is made, then leaves are made in different forms of it and this leaf is dipped in a solution of three herbs that brings out the design engraved on leaves. Finally, rub and polish the blade with very fine paper.
Prime Minister Modi gave his Danish counterpart, Mette Frederiksen, a wall hanging with Kutch embroidery.
Kutch Embroidery is a craft and textile signature art tradition from the tribal community of the Kutch District of Gujarat, India. This embroidery with its rich design has made a remarkable contribution to the Indian embroidery traditions.
Embroidery, which is normally practiced by women, is usually done on cotton fabric, in the form of a net with silk or cotton threads in innumerable shades. Some patterns are also made over silk and satin. The types of stitches used are “square chain, double buttonholes, pattern padding, running stitch, satin and straight stitch”.
The signature effect of the colorful embroidery sparkles when small mirrors called “abhla” are sewn over the geometrically shaped designs.
Prime Minister Modi donated Pashmina in a Papier Mache box from Jammu and Kashmir to his Swedish counterpart Magdalena Andersson.
A symbol of luxury and elegance, Kashmiri Pashmina Stoles have been appreciated for their rare materials, exquisite craftsmanship and reminiscent designs since time immemorial. The warmth and softness that these chairs offer is simply beyond comparison.
Pashmina is an exclusive art from the Union Territory of Kashmir that is known for producing one of the finest Pashmina chairs.
The wool used to make Pashmina chairs comes from a special breed of Kashmiri goat found in the highlands of the Himalayas. A good Pashmina chair requires an expert hand to spin, weave and create embroidery. The art of weaving Pashmina and hand embroidery on Pashminas has been passed down as a legacy from generation to generation in the Indian Union Territory of Kashmir.
The Pashmina chair is packed in a Kashmir Papier Mache box that is handmade and colored. The work is hand-painted in a floral design that shows the flora and fauna of the Kashmir Valley. The design used in this piece is an intricate pattern drawn with a nice thin brush. Water-based paints and natural pigments have been used in this piece. Pure gold foil and color have been used in the design which gives a royal look to the piece. Finally, the piece is coated with varnish that protects it from water and provides extra durability.
The Prime Minister embarked on a three-day visit to European countries on 2 May. He visited Germany and Denmark and will have a stopover in Paris. (ANI)
Source: sn.dk