PM Modi's gift to Giorgia Meloni featured two of India's finest silks

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit  to Italy was more important due to the cultural implications. Some of the beautifully selected items in Narendra Modi’s gift to Giorgia Meloni includes the Shirui Lily silk stole from Manipur and Muga silk stole from Assam.

Narendra Modi's gift to Giorgia Meloni highlights Northeast India’s weaving heritage

The Shirui Lily silk stole is the most widely debated gift here. The Shirui lily flower looks like a bell and is known as the flower that creates this silk stole; it only grows at the top of Shirui Kashong Peak in the Ukhrul District of Manipur.

The stole depicted not only the traditional craft of weaving in Manipur but also showcased how beautiful textiles can be found throughout North East India. The cushion was made from a material having a smooth texture which indicates the heritage, history and culture of traditional handicrafts produced by native people. The use of the Shirui Lily on the stole has a unique symbolism. In Italy, the lily flower represents purity, beauty and gracefulness.

Another unique element in Narendra Modi's gift to Giorgia Meloni was he Muga silk stole from Assam. Muga silk, often called the ‘Golden Silk’ of Assam, is known for its unique gold colour and incredible strength. Hailing from Assam’s Brahmaputra Valley, Muga silk ranks as one of the highest quality silks available anywhere.`

The ability to endure through time is what sets apart muga silk. It maintains its quality for an extended period and becomes softer as time goes on, while retaining the brightness of the underlying colour. The soft gold colour of muga silk has been synonymous with sophistication for centuries.

Muga silk was the fabric worn exclusively by the royal families, aristocracy, and government officials during the Ahom dynasty in Assam. The Ahom kings used this expensive material for trading purposes with other areas and foreign delegations. Visitors would sometimes receive Muga silk clothes as gifts. Inside the palace, there were handlooms run by women workers who were taught by the Ahom queens. Through Narendra Modi's gift to Giorgia Meloni, these historic weaving traditions once again found a global audience.

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