New Delhi (NVI): An acrylic painting with a tri-colour background of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Mahatma Gandhi has fetched the highest bid of Rs 25 lakhs at the exhibition cum e-auctioning of mementos received by Indian premier here on October 24.
Amongst the mementos on display, the lowest base price was kept at Rs 500 for items like small statue of Lord Ganesha and decorative wooden box in lotus shape. The highest base price of Rs. 2.5 lakhs was reserved for an acrylic painting with a tri-colour background of Prime Minister with Mahatma Gandhi, which received a final bid of Rs. 25 lakhs, said an official statement.
A framed photograph of the Prime Minister receiving blessings from his mother, with a base price of Rs. 1000, has received a bid of Rs. 20 lakhs.
The other popular auction items include an exhibit of Manipuri Folk Arts with an original base price of Rs. 50,000, sold for a bid of Rs. 10 lakhs, a metallic sculpture of a cow feeding a calf with a base price of Rs. 4,000, sold for a bid of Rs. 10 lakhs and a metallic 14 cm statue of Swami Vivekanand with a base price of Rs. 4,000 that has received a final price of Rs. 6 lakhs, the statement added.
The e-auction exhibition was organised by the Union Culture Ministry from September 14 to sell total of 2,772 mementos gifted to the Prime Minister. The mementos including diverse objects, memorabilia, paintings, sculptures, shawls, jackets and traditional musical instruments were kept on display at the National Gallery of Modern Art here.
All the items on auction stand have been sold-out. The celebrities, politicians and activists have shown their immense interest in the auction, said the statement.
Earlier, e-auction was supposed to be held till October 3, but after the overwhelming response from the people and a request for more people to participate, the decision was taken to extend the auction process for another three weeks.
Numerous of bids were received and all proceeds from the e-auction will be donated towards funding the NamamiGange Mission.
–PS
