Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifted a Nachiarkoil and a three-feet high Thanjavur painting of dancing Saraswathi to Chinese President Xi Jinping, while the two leaders met in Tamil Nadu, for the informal summit between India and China. The Nachiarkoil is a six-feet Annam lamp, richly coated with gold. The gifts reflect the tradition and culture of Tamil Nadu where the summit is being held. The two leaders will again meet on Saturday for one-on-one talks in Tamil Nadu.
With a round base, the lamp is decorated with beautiful patterns and also has a slender and intricately-designed ornamental stem with branches taking off at three levels. A bowl of five spouts sits on top of the stem, for wicks to light the lamp.
Above the lamp is the "Annam" -- a celestial bird that is mythologically reputed to be able to separate milk from water and figuratively good from the bad.
Overall, the lamp is 6-feet tall and weighs 108 kilograms. Made of bronze and resplendently gold-coated, the lamp was prepared in 12 days.
The ornate and intricate Thanjavur painting of the Dancing Saraswathi is three-feet high, four feet wide, and took about 45 days to make. The painting is set in a wooden frame carved with beads, the traditional motif used for such frames.
The central motif of the painting is the Dancing Hindu Goddess Saraswathi. The painting shows the Saraswathi playing the Veena and dancing in celebration of eternal bliss.
It also has the celestial bird "Annam" which is a symbol of purity, prosperity, divinity, and elegant beauty.
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