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Indian PM Gifts Iconic Indian Handicrafts, Textiles To Seychelles Leadership

• By  Textile Excellence
• July 01, 2026

Prime Minister Narendra Modi showcased India’s textile and craft heritage by gifting a curated selection of traditional handlooms and handicrafts to Seychelles’ top leadership during his three-day visit (June 27–29), aimed at strengthening bilateral ties.

The gifts spanned India’s key craft clusters, including Kanchivaram silk, Maheshwari silk, Toda embroidery, Bidriware metalwork, and Sikkim orchid art, each chosen to reflect cultural symbolism and shared heritage.

Craft diplomacy

To Seychelles President Patrick Herminie, Modi presented a Moradabadi brass tortoise, representing Uttar Pradesh’s famed metalcraft tradition from Moradabad, known as India’s “brass city.” The tortoise, a symbol of wisdom, stability and longevity, also resonates with Seychelles’ iconic Aldabra giant tortoise.

To First Lady Veronique Herminie, he gifted a Maheshwari silk stole from Madhya Pradesh and a Bidriware box from Karnataka, two heritage crafts known for fine weaving and silver-inlaid metalwork respectively.

The Maheshwari stole is woven from silk-cotton blends in geometric patterns, while Bidriware is distinguished by its black metal base with intricate silver inlay work, crafted through traditional engraving techniques.

Textiles with cultural symbolism

Vice President Sebastien Pillay received an orchid painting from Sikkim, depicting India’s peacock alongside orchids, linking India’s national bird with Seychelles’ national flower, both symbols of biodiversity and natural heritage.

Second Lady Lina Pillay was presented a Kanchivaram silk fabric from Tamil Nadu, renowned for its rich silk weave, zari detailing and temple-town origins in Kanchipuram.

Seychelles National Assembly Speaker Azarel Ernesta received a Toda embroidered shawl from the Nilgiri Hills. Hand-stitched using the traditional Pukhoor technique, the shawl represents the indigenous Toda community’s ceremonial textile heritage and cultural identity.

Cultural diplomacy push

The curated selection highlighted India’s diverse artisan traditions while reinforcing cultural links with Seychelles through shared themes of nature, heritage and craftsmanship.

The visit also underscored India’s broader use of handloom and handicrafts as instruments of soft power diplomacy, positioning traditional textiles and crafts as symbols of identity in international relations.

The curated selection highlighted India’s diverse artisan traditions while reinforcing cultural links with Seychelles through shared themes of nature, heritage and craftsmanship. The visit also underscored India’s broader use of handloom and handicrafts as instruments of soft power diplomacy, positioning traditional textiles and crafts as symbols of identity in international relations.