What PM Modi and Joe Biden Gave Each Other During White House Dinner?
Today, US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the White House. At the exclusive meal, they were accompanied by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and his American counterpart Jake Sullivan.
The Bidens presented PM Modi with a handcrafted, ancient American book galley from the early twentieth century.
The Prime Minister presented President Joe Biden with a handcrafted sandalwood box and the First Lady with a 7.5-carat eco-friendly green diamond as formal presents.
The sandalwood box containing a silver statue of Lord Ganesha, a Diya (oil lamp), and ‘Das Danam’ was given to President Biden, who turns 81 in November.
“Das Danam” refers to donations given when a person attains the status of ‘Drishta Sahasrachandro,’ or the person who has seen one thousand full moons after reaching the age of 80 years and eight months.
The Prime Minister also gave Joe Biden a first-edition copy of the book “The Ten Principal Upanishads.”
The diamond was given to Jill Biden in a box made of paper pulp known as kar-e-kalamdani.
The Bidens presented PM Modi with a handcrafted vintage American book galley.
In addition, the first couple gave him a vintage American camera, a hardback book of American wildlife photography, and a signed, first-edition copy of Robert Frost’s “Collected Poems.”
PM Modi arrived in Washington today after conducting a massive record-breaking yoga practice at the United Nations headquarters in New York. On Tuesday, he was greeted with a thunderous welcome in New York and met with a number of CEOs, intellectuals, and academics.
PM Modi is the third Indian to be asked for a state visit, which is considered the highest degree of cordial ties and is reserved only for close allies. A state visit is an invitation to the official home of the Head of State.
President Biden and the first lady will hold a separate State Dinner for the Prime Minister tomorrow at the White House, which is scheduled to be attended by 400 people.
The visit demonstrates the two countries’ growing connections in a variety of spheres.