Auction of mementos: Modi’s NCC alumni card, Ram temple models among sought after items

New Delhi, Sep 18: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s NCC alumni card, multiple models of the upcoming Ram temple in Ayodhya and a statue of the mascot of the recently-held Chess Olympiad in Chennai are among the items which are highly sought after at an online auction of mementos gifted to him.
The online auction of over 1,200 such items, including a model statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and sporting memorabilia of the Commonwealth Games, started on Saturday and will go on till October 2.
The auction is being conducted through web portal pmmementos.gov.in and it has one section that lists items under the head ‘Most Participated Auction’.
Among these sought after items is a memento given by the National Cadet Corps (NCC) in the form of an alumni card displaying Modi’s photograph, ‘Life Member’, year 2021 and ‘Directorate: Guj, DD & DNH’ The alumni card has received over 20 bids till about 11 am on Sunday.
The auction had gone live at 10 am on Saturday morning, coinciding with Modi’s 72nd birthday.
Other items in this category include several models of the upcoming Ram temple in Ayodhya, of varying dimensions and weights.One of these models was presented to the prime minister by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
The realistic, small-scaled wooden model shows Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, placed inside a glass case. It is a temple being built at the site of Ram Janmabhoomi, the birthplace of Lord Rama.
The principal construction of the sanctuary is based on a raised platform and has three storeys, reads the description of the item on the auction website.
Weighing 6 kg, the dimensions of the model are 45 cm x 41 cm x by 36 cm. The base price for this gifted item is Rs 10,800. Other Ram temple models include one weighing 2.5 kg spanning 46 cm x 30 cm x 35 cm; another one weighing 3.2 kg and one more model weighing 1.75 kg, according to the auction website.
Many other religious items, including a metallic ‘shankh’ (conch), statues of Lord Ganesha, a trident and a replica of the wooden idol of Tirupati Balaji Maharaj, are also in the category of the ‘Most Participated Auction’.
This was presented to Prime Minister Modi by Governor of Andhra Pradesh, Biswa Bhusan Harichandan, it says.
A statue representing the official logo and mascot of the Chess Olympiad in Chennai 2022 is also among the highly sought after items in the ongoing auction.
India recently hosted the FIDE Chess Olympiad in Chennai. Its official logo was a chess knight named Thambi. “It is a chess knight named Thambi and designed in the traditional Tamil attire, saying vanakkam. The name is a symbol of brotherhood, and it indicates that we all belong to one fraternity,” the description reads. (PTI)