The Centre received Rs 1.89 crore through the auction of mementos and gifts presented to PM Narendra Modi in 2025, Union Minister Gajendra Shekhwat said on Monday.The auctions had fetched Rs 3.1 crore in 2021, Rs 3.6 crore in 2022, Rs 15.8 crore in 2023, and Rs 11.6 crore in 2024, he said.Replying to a question in the Lok Sabha, the Culture Minister said no auction of mementos and gifts was organized by the National Gallery of Modern Arts (NGMA) before 2019.In the recent 7th edition, the auction was conducted from September 17, the birthday of PM Modi, to October 31 in 2025, Shekhawat said.He said over 1,300 gifts received by the prime minister were auctioned on the portal www.pmmementos.gov.in. The items include paintings, artefacts, sculptures, idols, handicrafts, tribal art, and ceremonial gifts, reflecting India’s cultural richness.”The highlight of that year’s edition was the inclusion of sports memorabilia gifted by para-athletes from the Paris Paralympics 2024, symbolizing resilience and national pride,” he said.Since its inception in 2019, the e-auction of such mementos has raised more than Rs 50 crore, with all proceeds dedicated to the Namami Gange Project, the government’s flagship initiative for the rejuvenation and conservation of the River Ganga.The mementos are also on display at NGMA, New Delhi, offering citizens a chance to view them before placing their bids. This initiative not only allows citizens to own a piece of history but also to contribute to a noble mission of cultural and ecological preservation.A statue of Goddess Bhavani with a base price of Rs 1.03 crore, and a model of the Ram temple worth Rs 5.5 lakh were some of the items fetching the maximum prices in 2025, the Ministry of Culture said.These two items, along with three pairs of shoes of Paralympics medalists, each pair with a base price of Rs 7.7 lakh, were in the top-five bracket in terms of the base price.Other items which were part of the e-auction included an intricately-embroidered Pashmina shawl from Jammu and Kashmir, a Tanjore painting of Ram Durbar, a metallic Nataraja statue, a Rogan Art from Gujarat depicting the Tree of Life, and a handwoven Naga shawl, the ministry added.The 8th edition of the auctions is likely to be held from September 17 this year.