G20 Summit 2023: Darjeeling Tea To Kashmir's Pashmina | Here's A Look At The Gifts World Leaders Received

The 2023 G20 Summit held under the presidency of India in Delhi was a success as Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented the visiting G20 Heads of State, leaders and their spouses with handcrafted artefacts signifying India's rich culture. 

The gift items included saffron from Kashmir, sheesham wood chests with brass patti, Pekoe Darjeeling and Nilgiri tea, Araku coffee, Kashmiri Pashmina shawl, Sundarbans multiflora mangrove honey and Zighrana 'ittar' (perfume oil) from Uttar Pradesh's Kannauj. Some of the gift items were meticulously hand-crafted by master artisans of the country, officials said. 

From luxury teas to Kashmiri Pashmina stole, here's a look at the special gift hampers, the Indian Government presented to the global leaders:

-A collection of Pekoe Darjeeling and Nilgiri Tea also known as the "champagne of teas". Darjeeling tea is the most valued tea in the world. Only tender shoots are handpicked from shrubs, located on the misty hills of West Bengal at altitudes of 3000-5000 ft. 

Pekoe Darjeeling and Nilgiri Tea. (Photo credit: ANI)

-Araku Coffee: Araku Coffee is the world’s first terroir-mapped coffee, grown on organic plantations in the Araku Valley of Andhra Pradesh. These coffee beans bear the essence of the valley's rich soil and temperate climate. Pure Arabica with a rare aromatic profile, Araku Coffee is known for its unique texture and a symphony of flavours. 

-Sundarbans Multiflora Mangrove Honey: Sundarbans is the largest mangrove forest in the world, located on the delta formed by the confluence of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers in the Bay of Bengal. It is home to wild colonies of honeybees.

-Saffron from Kashmir: Saffron (‘Zafran’ in Persian, ‘Kesar’ in Hindi) is the most exotic and expensive spice in the world. Across cultures and civilizations, saffron has been valued for its unparalleled culinary and medicinal value. 

Kashmir's Saffron. (Photo credit: ANI)

-Kashmiri Pashmina stole: A symbol of royalty, the wool for the shawl is obtained by combing (and not shearing) the undercoat of specific Himalayan goats. 

(With agency inputs)