Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given a handcrafted sandalwood box containing a lamp and a silver Lord Ganesha idol as a gift to US President Joe Biden on his state visit to the US.
The Indian Prime Minister also gave a 7.5-carat eco-friendly green diamond to first lady Jill Biden.
Mr Modi, who is on a four-day state visit, was hosted by the Bidens at the White House for a private dinner on Wednesday.
The box was crafted in India’s western state of Rajasthan, an ancient art passed down through generations. The scented wood was sourced from Mysore in the southern state of Karnataka.
The box, intricately carved with flora and fauna patterns, contained a silver idol of the Hindu deity Ganesha, an oil lamp and “Das Danam”, or 10 donations, a traditional gift for someone who has seen "1,000 full moons" when he reaches the age of 80 years and eight months.
The Das Danam included a delicately handcrafted silver coconut denoting a cow, white sesame seeds, 24-carat hallmarked gold coins, clarified butter and a handwoven textured silk cloth.
Traditionally the donations include a cow, land, gold or silver, food grains and clothes.
The gifts were chosen for Mr Biden, who turns 81 in November.
To Mrs Biden, Mr Modi gave an eco-friendly, lab-grown 7.5-carat diamond in a papier mache box – a 14th century craft from Kashmir prepared with paper pulp before being painted.
In return, the Bidens gave Mr Modi a vintage American camera, a hardcover book of American wildlife photography and a signed, first edition copy of The Collected Poems by Robert Frost.
Mr Modi landed in New York on Tuesday.
It is his first state visit at the invitation of Mr Biden. He has visited six times since becoming India's Prime Minister in 2014.
Origin
Dan Brown
Doubleday
FIXTURES (all times UAE)
Sunday
Brescia v Lazio (3.30pm)
SPAL v Verona (6pm)
Genoa v Sassuolo (9pm)
AS Roma v Torino (11.45pm)
Monday
Bologna v Fiorentina (3.30pm)
AC Milan v Sampdoria (6pm)
Juventus v Cagliari (6pm)
Atalanta v Parma (6pm)
Lecce v Udinese (9pm)
Napoli v Inter Milan (11.45pm)
Directed by Sam Mendes
Starring Dean-Charles Chapman, George MacKay, Daniel Mays
4.5/5
Results
5pm: Warsan Lake – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 2,200m; Winner: Dhaw Al Reef, Sam Hitchcott (jockey), Abdallah Al Hammadi (trainer)
5.30pm: Al Quadra Lake – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Mrouwah Al Gharbia, Sando Paiva, Abubakar Daud
6pm: Hatta Lake – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: AF Yatroq, George Buckell, Ernst Oertel
6.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Ashton Tourettes, Adries de Vries, Ibrahim Aseel
7pm: Abu Dhabi Championship – Listed (PA) Dh180,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Bahar Muscat, Antonio Fresu, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7.30pm: Zakher Lake – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Alfareeq, Dane O’Neill, Musabah Al Muhairi.
Prop idols
Girls full-contact rugby may be in its infancy in the Middle East, but there are already a number of role models for players to look up to.
Sophie Shams (Dubai Exiles mini, England sevens international)
An Emirati student who is blazing a trail in rugby. She first learnt the game at Dubai Exiles and captained her JESS Primary school team. After going to study geophysics at university in the UK, she scored a sensational try in a cup final at Twickenham. She has played for England sevens, and is now contracted to top Premiership club Saracens.
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Seren Gough-Walters (Sharjah Wanderers mini, Wales rugby league international)
Few players anywhere will have taken a more circuitous route to playing rugby on Sky Sports. Gough-Walters was born in Al Wasl Hospital in Dubai, raised in Sharjah, did not take up rugby seriously till she was 15, has a master’s in global governance and ethics, and once worked as an immigration officer at the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi. In the summer of 2021 she played for Wales against England in rugby league, in a match that was broadcast live on TV.
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Erin King (Dubai Hurricanes mini, Ireland sevens international)
Aged five, Australia-born King went to Dubai Hurricanes training at The Sevens with her brothers. She immediately struck up a deep affection for rugby. She returned to the city at the end of last year to play at the Dubai Rugby Sevens in the colours of Ireland in the Women’s World Series tournament on Pitch 1.
SPECS
Toyota land Cruiser 2020 5.7L VXR
Engine: 5.7-litre V8
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 362hp
Torque: 530Nm
Price: Dh329,000 (base model 4.0L EXR Dh215,900)
The Little Things
Directed by: John Lee Hancock
Starring: Denzel Washington, Rami Malek, Jared Leto
Four stars
