From a hand-carved samadhi of Lord Buddha worth Rs 3 lakh to an expensive silver diamond emerald jewellery set valued as high as Rs 6.70 crore and a wooden showpiece worth just Rs 1,000, are among the many gifts that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj deposited in the Government’s toshkhana (treasure trove). Sushma deposited the maximum number of official presents in the treasure trove in the April-June financial quarter.
Among the gifts deposited by Modi in toshkhana are a hand-carved samadhi of Lord Buddha worth Rs 3 lakh, a wooden carved platform of Buddha costing Rs 1 lakh, a gold colour decorative serving plate worth Rs 15,000, a round covered porcelain box valued at Rs 11,000, a replica of a heritage site in a wooden box worth at Rs 10,000, a blue porcelain bowl of Rs 7,000 and a Maldivian wooden vase and a stone pot in wooden box (each worth Rs 5,000).
The PM also deposited in the toshkhana one traditional chodrom (wooden table) worth Rs 8,000, a decorative letterhead box of Rs 3,000, a Mont Blanc ball point pen and one Malachite stone chaplet.
The treasure trove data shows Sushma had deposited 11 gifts in the Government’s treasury, including an expensive silver diamond emerald jewellery set valued at Rs 6.70 crore, and a wooden showpiece of Rs 1,000. The gifts deposited by Sushma in the treasure trove also include a gold jewellery set decorated in a frame worth Rs 1.14 lakh, a silk carpet of Rs 1 lakh, a big painted vase worth Rs 2,500, a glass showpiece of an elephant worth Rs 2,000 and a map on wooden platform with five gold plated camels on its base.
As per protocol, all gifts received by the Prime Minister and other officials from overseas have to be deposited in toshkhana for evaluation. Apart from depositing the gifts with toshkhana, Sushma had given away a golden mask she had received on her overseas trip to the Archaeological Survey of India.
A toshkhana is a treasure house wherein gifts that are received as honour are kept. The Government’s toshkhana is the place where all dignitaries deposit gifts that they have received from abroad. It could be anything — paintings, sarees to other artefacts. It is managed by the MEA.
The MEA has its own rate of evaluation done by dedicated personnel. Recipients are allowed to keep gifts, worth less than Rs 5,000. If it exceeds the limit, recipients can retain the present only after paying extra.
The gifts deposited by different officials in the treasure chest range from a liquor bottle worth Rs 1,500, a carpet costing about Rs 5,000, a silk art multifunctional mat valued at Rs 5,000, a silver coin of Rs 3,000, a scarf of Rs 5,000 to a box containing watch and wallet of Rs 24,000.
Sushma’s successor S Jaishankar has also deposited several gifts with toshkhana. These include, a golden ship with glass base, a bronze statue of Buddha, a wooden work table and a saree of Rs 10,000. National Security Adviser Ajit Doval too has deposited a flower vase worth Rs 2,500 in the treasury trove.
Other expensive gifts deposited by bureaucrats with the treasure trove are a Breitling Watch Avenger Blackbird 44 worth Rs 3,37,000 by Sanjay Mitra, a Valentino hand bag of Rs 1,47,000 by Gargi Kaul.
A metal artefact worth Rs 1,500 and a bowl of Rs 1,000 by Vijay Gokhale, a wooden box of Rs 1,500 by Rahul Shrivastava, a Hankook Chinaware worth Rs 5,000 by Sanjay Mitra, a framed traditional basket of Rs 1,500 by Dr Neena Malhotra and a Papyrus picture on wooden frame worth Rs 2,000 by Dr Deepak Mittal.