3 min readNew DelhiMay 21, 2026 08:25 PM IST
Not just a packet of Indian toffee Melody, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also gifted two exquisite garment accessories — a Muga silk stole from Assam and an off-white Shirui Lily silk stole from Manipur — to his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni.
Muga silk, known as the “golden silk” of Assam, is a rare textile from the Brahmaputra Valley. It is produced without any artificial dyes.
The Shirui Lily silk stole draws its inspiration from the misty heights of Shirui Kashong Peak in Manipur. (Express Photo)
The Shirui Lily silk stole draws its inspiration from the misty heights of Shirui Kashong Peak in Manipur. It is named after the rare Shirui Lily, a delicate bell-shaped flower with pale pinkish-white petals that blooms nowhere else in the world. The lily also holds deep cultural resonance in Italy, where it has long symbolised purity, grace and artistic refinement, frequently appearing in Renaissance art.
Muga silk, known as the “golden silk” of Assam, is a rare textile from the Brahmaputra Valley. It is produced without any artificial dyes. (Express Photo)
Queen Máxima of the Netherlands was presented with a pair of Meenakari and Kundan earrings sourced from the royal ateliers of Rajasthan. Uniting two historic art forms — Meenakari (enamelling onto metal) and Kundan (the setting of uncut gemstones in refined gold foil) — the orange and blue pair carried special significance for the Netherlands. While orange honours the Dutch royal House of Orange-Nassau, blue reflects serenity, openness and the nation’s enduring relationship with water.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also gifted two exquisite garment accessories . (Express Photo)
During his five-nation tour — UAE, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands and Italy — PM Modi carried a whole range of gifts for world leaders sourced from the length and breadth of the country — displaying artistic skills, heritage and India’s soft power.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre received a pressed orchid painting and orchid paperweights made of real pressed orchids and ferns from Sikkim, while Norwegian King Harald V was presented with an intricate silver sailboat model, a piece of Tarakasi, the ancient art of silver filigree from Odisha’s Cuttack.
West Bengal and its artistic traditions were also highlighted through a Santiniketan messenger bag gifted to Swedish PM Ulf Kristersson. A selection of works by Rabindranath Tagore were also presented alongside the bag. Tagore shared a special intellectual connection with Sweden through the Nobel tradition and his visits to the country following his Nobel recognition.
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UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan was gifted a Rogan painting with Tree of Life, sourced from the state of Gujarat. Rogan is a rare and exquisite textile art form the Kutch region, and the Tree of Life motif in Rogan art is an ancient symbol of interconnectedness, strength, renewal and continuity. Along with that was a box of Kesar mangoes from Gujarat, originating in Junagadh.
