Sonia, Singh donate jewels to museum

The National Museum has a new token from Saudi Arabia. Recently, when King Abdullah Abdal Aziz of Saudi Arabia came visiting as the guest of honour on the Republic Day, he left a symbolic gift for both Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as well as Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

Singh and Sonia have decided to donate the precious jewels gifted by the Saudi king to the National Museum that will be displayed in its galleries in the next couple of weeks.

The jewelery set received by the Congress president has already reached the museum and comprises a grand emerald-diamond necklace, earrings and a ring in the same setting.

“We are waiting for the one from the PM to reach us and once that happens we will display it in the Museum. Gifts left behind by dignitaries assume historical significance down the years,” says a museum source.

The PM also received a similar set by Aziz in had gems arranged in ‘claw setting’. Sources at the museum point that both sets are exquisite but have not been valued for the simple reason that they were received as gifts.

The museum already has a wide array of objects that have been collected as part of its ‘modern’ acquisitions starting from the Nehruvian era.

“These are all part of the recent collections such as the chair of Jawaharlal Nehru. We are in the process of putting all these objects together and may be display it in contemporary gallery,” adds another source from the museum.